New para-veterinary rules will be a ‘game-changer’ for animal healthcare, food security

The government's new rules for para-veterinary professionals, including nurses and animal health technicians, will broaden access to primary healthcare services for animal owners and small-scale farmers in rural areas.

That's the word from the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC), which has welcomed the recent introduction of new regulations for this sector of the profession.

The rules will increase access to animal healthcare in South Africa and promote food safety and security.

Para-veterinary professionals are responsible for providing animal healthcare and reproduction advice to people in their communities.

The SAVC said the regulations will allow nurses and animal health technicians (AHTs) to open and own practices.

“We are confident this move will broaden access to primary healthcare services for animal owners and small-scale farmers in rural and underserved areas, and create much-needed new income streams for these professionals. It’s time for our AHTs and other para-veterinary professionals to claim their rightful place in the sun,” said SAVC president Dr Nandipha Ndudane.

A recent council survey, funded by the health and welfare sector education and training authority, revealed a significant number of South Africa’s emerging and small-scale farmers do not use veterinary services, despite owning a third of the country’s cattle and sheep.

Now, in what Ndudane said could be a “game-changer” for rural animal healthcare, AHTs will be better equipped to provide training and education to emerging farmers about livestock diseases and how to prevent them.

They will also be ideally placed to advise them when to seek veterinary care for sick or injured animals.

“This will hopefully contribute to the health of the national herd by ensuring the integrity of the animal proteins we consume, while always being mindful to avoid the overuse of antimicrobials due to the use of stock remedies in the food chain.”

An AHT can now establish a primary animal healthcare (PAHC) facility from which to offer on-site or mobile consultation services, which must be linked to a physical PAHC facility. An AHT can also sell stock remedies.

The PAHC facility must be registered with the SAVC and comply with the prescribed minimum standards.

Thabiso Mohlabi, an SAVC member representing the AHT profession, said: “I can only define the new rules as a bold step to protect rural livelihoods and unlock the economic potential of rural areas.

“The rules assure the rural dweller of enhanced access to quality para-veterinary services and seek to eradicate patterns of underdevelopment in rural areas. They essentially allow AHTs to put their ideas into practice and to actively engage in work that interests them and for which they have been trained.”

In terms of the new legislation, veterinary nurses may also open a facility (registered with the SAVC) to offer basic animal care, such as beak and nail clipping, catheterisation without sedation, medicine prescribed by a vet, vaccinations, the lancing of abscesses, caring for wounds, and physical rehabilitation.

Some of these services may be performed without veterinary supervision, but others require a referral from a veterinarian.

Sister Erika Bornman, who represents the veterinary nursing profession on the SAVC, said: “This is indeed a very positive development for our profession as it is the first time that we can run and own businesses for our own gain, independent of veterinary supervision under certain circumstances.”

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