VN April 2022

Vetnuus | April 2022 2 IVOC is a coalition of the veterinary associations of South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States of America where matters of common concern, such as the international critical shortage of veterinarians, are discussed and possible solutions sought. Talking about the critical shortage of veterinarians, it came as a shock to learn that veterinarians were removed from the critical skills list by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). SAVA is fully aware of the acute shortage of veterinarians. It is in the process of establishing what criteria are being used and the procedure followed by DIRCO to determine the list. SAVA will engage with all relevant role players to ensure that veterinarians are once again added to the list. The call for abstracts for the SAVA Biennial Congress was launched on 8 March 2022. The closing date for abstracts is 30 April 2022 and for Early Registration 30 August 2022. I again want to urge members, branches, and groups to be actively involved in the congress. It is not only your congress, but it will also be the forerunner for the World Veterinary Association's Congress to be hosted by SAVA in 2024. Let us make our organisation proud in presenting one of the best veterinary congresses up to date! I had the privilege of attending the Wildlife Group's Congress held 10 to 12 March 2022 at Roodevalley Conference Centre, Pretoria. The extent of development and research to ensure optimal service is rendered to our wildlife is astounding. Congratulations on a congress well-presented, and keep up the excellent work, especially the outreach to veterinary students and young colleagues. SAVA is, however, only as strong as its structures and membership. The long-term viability of SAVA is still a grave concern. Members are implored to promote SAVA to non- members through our activities at branches and groups. You are urged to show SAVA's promotional video at activities and allow a SAVA representative to make a short presentation whilst all the attendees, members and non-members, are present. To ensure that all our members are optimally served, I will be involved in efforts to re-establish the KZN branch, the Young Members Group, and establish a branch in Limpopo. SAVA's Mentorship program for CCS Veterinarians has been in effect since 2020, positively impacting hundreds of newly graduated veterinarians. The CCS Veterinarians (Mentees) have commenced their contracts on 1 March 2022. In total, 120 CCS Veterinarians enrolled for the Mentoring Programme in 2022. However, your assistance is required to identify and register suitable mentors. Mentors are urgently needed in rural areas. It does not help that we as a profession are vociferous about the young veterinarians' skills, yet we do not step in and assist them in becoming proficient. I, therefore, urgently call on all veterinarians to contact Annalie McCallum at annalie@ sava.co.za to become a mentor. All veterinarians are vital to the future of our esteemed profession. We must ensure that the standards, skills, and proficiency are of such a level that we are an asset to animal health. To achieve this goal, all veterinarians are prompted to respond when requested for inputs. Suppose we as a profession do not provide the necessary inputs to determine the veterinary policy of the future. In that case, we will have to accept that other veterinary para- professionals and non-professionals will decide on our behalf, which might negatively impact our profession. This months' VetNews edition is dedicated to Exotic Animals, a direction not well covered in the veterinary curriculum. It is trusted that you will enjoy the articles, and please support those veterinarians that made an effort to further their studies in exotic animals. With the ease of the Covid regulations, may you have a prosperous, successful April? Please keep up the safety standards for your own protection. v Paul van der Merwe From the President Dear members, My sincerest apologies for the mistakes in my previous Foreword. It is indeed the SAVA Biennial Congress that will be hosted from 25 to 27 October 2022 at Emperors Palace in Gauteng; and Dr de Bruyn, our previous President, to accompany me to the World Veterinary Association's Congress in Abu Dhabi the 29 to 31 March 2022; followed by the International Veterinary Officers Coalition (IVOC) meeting the 1 and 2 April 2022.