Vetnews | Junie 2024 2 « BACK TO CONTENTS VETERINARY SERVICES AT A CRITICAL JUNCTION Veterinary services in South Africa are at a critical junction with more veterinarians leaving the profession or emigrating than qualifying each year. With the already major shortage of veterinarians with only 3500 registered, many of whom are not practising due to other fields of work, retirement or those that have emigrated but maintain their registration, South Africa cannot afford to lose a single veterinarian for whatever reason. The extra burden placed on those who stay behind has major manifestations. Collegial interrelationships are at an all-time low and are cited as one of the main reasons for, especially young veterinarians, for leaving the country. Yet client demands increase by the day as they expect the same service to be delivered albeit an ever-increasing number of animals in South Africa, especially companion animals post-Covid, with an ever-decreasing workforce. Onerous client relationships have been mentioned as the second most important reason for young veterinarians to consider emigrating. These and other factors also have a major financial toll on practices and it is often mooted that practices that cannot make ends meet anymore are closing down, often leaving rural communities without any veterinary care. The more stressors experienced by our veterinarians, the more leave the profession or emigrate, increasing these stressors, a vicious circle indeed. These stressors, however, also have a significant impact on the mental health of our veterinary community. (See the complete article in the is edition). More than a third of veterinarians in South Africa showed signs of moderate to severe depression, and of these, more than 60% have contemplated self-harm or suicide. Do you know three veterinarians? If so, one of them is most likely experiencing some level of depression. Around 7% of veterinarians in South Africa showed signs of severe depression and of these almost 80% have contemplated self-harm or suicide. Most shocking is that 25% of those who showed signs of severe depression are contemplating self-harm or suicide daily! This shocking statistic is evident in how many veterinarians have already committed suicide this year. If you know 15 veterinarians chances are that you know one of those who is contemplating self-harm or suicide daily. But what can be done? Must the number of veterinarians qualifying each year be increased by opening a second veterinary faculty (Discussions are underway but it will take at least 10 to 15 years to train its first graduates), or should we “contract” foreign faculties to train South Africans (There are already more than 50 students in foreign faculties but they experience major bureaucracy challenges in returning), or must we nurture the new graduates to see if we can convince them to stay in South Africa, the only immediate short-term solution? The major negative mental health impact can be ascribed to the fact that the resilience of South African veterinarians is inadequate. Of the more than one-third of veterinarians showing signs of moderate to severe depression, all had a Resillince Index below the internationally accepted norm. In fact, more than 70% of South African veterinarians are below the internationally accepted norm. It was shown, however, that the group where the biggest impact for resilience training can be made is the final year students and the first two years of professional life. It was therefore proposed that resilience training be included in the Mentorship Program. Unfortunately, indications are that the HWSETA which has sponsored the program to date, is either going to decrease the funding or stop it at all. Canvassing is underway to find alternative sources of funding in the animal health product industry, the production animal industry and other sources as all of them will suffer the consequences if veterinary services have to reach a point of no return. We as a profession need to face, confront and interrogate current realities and put our differences aside whilst there is still time to do something. It is, however, unfair to expect SAVA and its membership to take action alone and to carry the brunt and financial responsibility to the benefit of the wider profession. It is time that SAVA members say to non-members that enough is enough. We as members are no longer au fait with sponsoring activities to the benefit of all veterinarians, and in this case, also paraveterinarians. ALL of us, members, non-members para veterinary professionals, the animal health products industry, production animal industry and other veterinary-related sectors, have a responsibility, inclusive of financial responsibilities, to push back and ensure our noble profession stays afloat. It is time we confront non-members with the reality as long as we can hang on by the tips of our fingernails! If it crashes, ALL of us will lose our veterinary professional freedom. I, the President of SAVA, am willing to stand up and confront those who are not prepared to take up their responsibilities to save our profession. Are you prepared to do the same or are you happy for a takeover losing your veterinary professional freedom? v Kind regards, Paul van der Merwe From the President Dear members, “You need to face, you need to confront, and really properly look at what's happening, and not try and explain it away or give it justifications or anything, because at this juncture, we still, by our fingernails, have the chance to make a difference, and turn this around. And to not take part and to just watch…….., but if you don't push back if you don't face it and confront it for what it is, it'll just take over, and then no one will be free.” Vivian Kubrick
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