Every year, the last Saturday of April is celebrated as “World Veterinary Day” all over the world. The main theme of the day, which falls on April 27 this year, is “Veterinarians are essential health workers”.
Veterinary medicine is a 264-year-old profession whose strategic importance is increasing at national and international levels in terms of animal health and welfare, adequate and safe food, environment and public health, and bio-terrorism aspects. Veterinary medicine has a fundamental place in the One Health studies of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and the World Health Organizations (WHO). Veterinarians played important roles in the world and in our country during the coronavirus-related pandemic, and a veterinary scientist developed the local TURCOVAC vaccine.
The General Directorate of Veterinary Affairs and the Provincial Organizations, which were established in accordance with the International Geneva Convention (Law No. 3243), to which our country signed and became a party in 1935, were closed in 1984, and some duties related to animal health and welfare and public health were assigned to unrelated units and professions. This is the main reason for the problems experienced in our livestock and professional fields today.
The actual service/wear and tear share rights we have had since 1949 were taken away from us in 2006.
BEYOND ‘VIOLENCE IN HEALTH’
As a result of loss of rights in special services and additional payments, veterinarians suffer a significant loss of economic welfare compared to other health professional groups. Our retired professionals are condemned to live on the hunger line. Even though veterinarians study for five full years and have a master’s degree, they receive much lower wages than other professions doing the same job in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The fact that we are the only healthcare professional group whose title is doctor but are excluded from the scope of the “law on violence in health” tells a lot.
What should we do, should we hit the road saying “Veterinarians are doctors”? Reduced threshold scores for university entrance, the quality of education provided in faculties opened without any qualification requirements and equal to the total number in EU countries; It constitutes the main source of our professional problems. These faculties produce an average of 3 thousand graduates per year. Since there has been almost no public recruitment for years, there is an employment problem and young veterinarians are looking for a solution by going abroad. In addition, among the faculties that train physicians, all intern students receive a salary, while veterinary students are treated like stepchildren.
Independent veterinarians, who create significant employment and added value by working under difficult conditions and without receiving any government support, are experiencing great difficulties. The losses experienced in livestock farming have directly affected our colleagues, and the loss of production continues rapidly with the breeders.
The demand for applying QR codes to animal health drugs and blocking the spot market in order to prevent the development of antimicrobial resistance, which is considered a priority problem all over the world, has not been met yet, although it has been brought up many times. It is not right to impose high fines on veterinarians through systems that cannot be implemented such as e-prescription, without taking the necessary precautions for animal health drugs sold illegally on the internet and in places such as pet shops.
UNSCIENTIFIC PRACTICES
Those who perform their duties under violence and mobbing and to protect public health; The situation of our colleagues working in the fields of food, medicine and feed is no different. In addition to many duties in municipalities, veterinarians, who are seen as the sole responsible for the problems related to stray animals and are oppressed, are forced to work under chaotic and conflicting legislation conditions (5199, 5996, Constitution and Municipalities Law).
A first in the world and diametrically opposed to scientific norms; “Distance education” departments were opened to train animal health assistant personnel. Thousands of people graduated as technicians without touching animals, seeing medical devices and equipment, or even holding a syringe. Despite all the efforts and warnings for years, this situation has not been stopped.
Our animal husbandry, public health and the country’s economy, as well as veterinary medicine, are losing blood day by day. Solving the problems experienced in our profession in the light of science and justice will enable us to serve our country better.
N. Erdinç Orhan
President of Istanbul Chamber of Veterinarians
Tags: Events Opinions veterinarian Turkey
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