DIRECTOR’S REPORT: August 2009

This report details the outcomes of the pilot phase of Project Vet-Train, a ground-breaking animal-welfare initiative, made possible as a result of funding provided by the Marchig Animal Welfare Trust, RSPCA International and the Maria Norbury Foundation.

GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

The goal of Project Vet-Train is to improve the health and welfare of animals through a progressive and sustainable improvement in the availability of appropriate veterinary care.

Its stated objectives are:

  • to refine and develop the clinical skills of veterinary graduates and ancillary personnel
  • to improve and standardise the quality of veterinary services provided by animal welfare groups in India

In addition, significant secondary public health benefits are a likely consequence of this work.

The review data presented below enables evaluation of the success of the project in attaining its objectives.

PILOT PROJECT DELIVERY

The pilot phase of Vet-Train was based in India, at the National Institute of Animal Welfare, Ballabhgarh, Haryana State. Training was delivered as per the schedule and core content previously described, with the last of the six sessions concluding on the 18th July.

Participation

Between February and July 2009, a total of 178 veterinarians, paraveterinarians and animal handlers received training from the Vets Beyond Borders faculty; significantly greater than the 120 originally anticipated under the terms of the project description.

Most of the federated states and territories were represented. As would be expected, a large percentage of trainees (25.3%) were based in either Delhi or Haryana.
The majority of trainees were employed by animal-welfare NGO’s and in Government facilities; the Army and the private sector were also represented.
Attendance was exemplary, with absenteeism being very rare for the duration of the pilot.

Course content

The process of tailoring course content to the needs and requests of participants continued as previously. The syllabuses will now be reviewed and finalised, with the expectation that there will be few changes during subsequent phases of the project. Timetables for both veterinary and paraveterinary courses are appended.

Teaching materials

The Vet-Train web-site and on-line forum is now operational. Resources will continue to be uploaded to the site on an ongoing basis.

The veterinary manual compiled for the project is being extensively revised to include the extensive range of resources compiled by the VBB faculty. A handbook for paraveterinarians will be produced, translated into Hindi, and possibly Tamil, and made available to participants.

CLINICAL CASE-LOAD

In 18 weeks of clinical work, a total of 454 street dogs were surgically sterilised. Anti-rabies vaccinations were administered to 485 street-dogs.

Additionally, 53 non-sterilisation procedures were performed by the VBB faculty, including ophthalmic and orthopaedic surgeries, tumour resection, Caesarean section, episioplasty and herniorrhaphy. Trainees were encouraged to assist with and observe these procedures.

Twenty-nine cases of Transmissible Venereal Tumour were diagnosed and treated using standard chemotherapeutic protocols.

TRAINEE ASSESSMENT

Written evaluation

As previously described, the relevance of the written tests, undertaken by all participants both prior and subsequent to training, was maximised by ascertaining responses to identical questions included in both papers.

This indicated a significant increase in the level of understanding of core topics in both the veterinary and paraveterinary syllabuses in all sessions.

Demonstration of core competencies

All participants in all sessions, with the exception of the one trainee, who was injured during a recreational period, successfully demonstrated the required clinical skills.

PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK

Attendees rated the teaching components of the course as being very satisfactory to excellent.

FEEDBACK FROM EMPLOYERS / OFFICERS-IN-CHARGE

Responses from participating organisations were very positive, with a very high level of support for the continuation and expansion of the project.

CONCLUSIONS

The review data contained in this report allows confidence that the pilot project has provided high quality and much needed surgical training, which has been exceptionally well received by trainees, participating NGO’s and Government departments of animal husbandry. The Animal Welfare Board of India has indicated that there is a waiting list of well over 100 aspiring trainees and that this number is increasing rapidly.

It is highly significant that the vast majority of participating NGO’s and government departments of animal husbandry have made major improvements to their clinical protocols as a result of the knowledge and skills gained by staff who attended Vet-Train. This will undoubtedly promote reduced morbidity and mortality in their patients and confirms that that the stated objectives of the project are being attained.

We have been informed that the report on the project inspection, undertaken by a team of veterinarians from Indian university veterinary faculties at the request of the Animal Welfare Division (MOEF), was very positive and supportive of the continuation of Vet-Train.

The importance which the Animal Welfare Board of India attaches to the project is exemplified by the image of Vet-Train’s main operating theatre which appears on the cover of their recently-published Standard Operating Procedure manual for ABC, to which VBB provided input.

It is also encouraging to note that Sh. Jairam Ramesh, the new Minister of State for Environment & Forests (Government of India), places a high priority on the Rabies-free India proposal announced in July. I am informed that he perceives Project Vet-Train to be an integral component of this initiative, in view of the requirement to increase the numbers of veterinary personnel involved in ABC/AR activities. The AWBI has recommended that an additional 200 veterinarians, 400 paraveterinarians and 100 animal handlers will be required to enable this scheme to proceed.
Vets Beyond Borders thanks the Animal Welfare Board of India and the Ministry of Environment & Forests for their assistance in the delivery of the first phase of this significant animal welfare initiative.

As project director, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the members of the VBB teaching faculty. Their commitment to the project and its trainees was integral to the success of this first stage of Vet-Train.

Dr Ian Douglas BVM&S MRCVS, MACVSc (Surg)

Director
3rd August 2009