The task force investigating veterinary services in Manitoba has completed its report and the province will be reviewing the resulting recommendations, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) Minister Rosann Wowchuk announced.
“I would like to thank the members of the task force for their dedicated work on developing a comprehensive list of recommendations designed to meet the needs of Manitobans,” said Wowchuk. “I will be looking closely at their suggestions for maintaining and improving veterinary service to rural Manitoba to ensure animal and human health, animal welfare and food safety.”
The task force was chaired by livestock producer Ron Kostyshyn and included veterinarian Dr. Paul Schneider and Veterinary Services Commission representative Neil Hathaway.
This task force was established to determine how veterinary services are distributed and what systems are currently in place for early warning and surveillance of both local and foreign animal diseases.
The task force also re-examined current legislation and existing provincial programs and reviewed how veterinary services are provided in other jurisdictions. As a result, 33 recommendations were made regarding the options available to meet current and future demands for veterinary medical service for all provincial livestock producers and animal owners. Those recommendations included:
• continuously evaluating the appropriate number of spaces available for Manitoba students at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatchewan;
• building on and expanding scholarship programs to promote and encourage more new graduates to work in rural Manitoba;
• with MAFRI’s lead, providing a comprehensive program to improve animal and public health and the safety of food products;
• developing programs to provide surveillance, traceability and prevention of zoonotic and other animal diseases;
• consulting with the Manitoba Veterinary Association regarding the proper storage, dispensing and use of drugs to ensure the safety of animal and human health;
• providing adequate funding to the office of the chief veterinary officer so that it is not only capable of investigating and prosecuting cases of neglect and abuse, but has the resources to help prevent such occurrences; and
• increasing provincial funding to the Veterinary Diagnostic Services Laboratory to ensure it has the capacity to meet industry needs.
The minister noted the province will continue to work with its partners including the Veterinary Services Commission, Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association and commodity groups to advance the recommendations made in the report.
Wowchuk also announced the Manitoba government has increased funding to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan by more than $330,000 to cover the cost of two additional first-year student positions and recent increases in the cost of programming.
“We need more veterinarians because, with any disease, the most important factors are early detection and response,” said Wowchuk. “We know disease surveillance by well-trained veterinarians is important to our provincial economy in helping to meet the requirements of our export customers for livestock and livestock products.”
In the 2008-09 school year, Manitoba Advanced Education and Literacy is funding 15 first-year students and 13 students in each of years two, three and four. As the first-year students move through the program, the number of seats will increase to 15 in each of the four years.
The cost per seat in the 2007-08 school year is more than $74,000. With the recent increase, Manitoba now provides a total of just over $4.2 million to the veterinary college.
“Our government is increasing access to post-secondary education for students wanting to enter the challenging field of veterinary medicine,” said Advanced Education and Literacy Minister Diane McGifford. “The health of food, companion and laboratory animals as well as wildlife depends on having enough veterinarians available to provide medical services and advice in a timely manner.”
