New emerging diseases a threat to human and animals
THE Internet has made communication so rapid with information practically at our fingertips. I wish this technology had come earlier.
I say this because I remember how cumbersome it was to read veterinary medicine from the thick heavy textbooks, of diminishing space to store them in our tiny room and not forgetting the thousands of pages to be photocopied.
I now look at my veterinary books on the shelf and wonder how they will be ‘preserved’ when I am gone.
The best I could do is probably to keep them in my partnership veterinary practice, and hopefully they can still help those undergraduates in veterinary medicines or veterinary nursing who may want to undergo practical training with Companion Animal Clinic.
I qualified as a veterinarian in 1984, and 33 years is indeed a long time ago. I am fortunate to be kept abreast of veterinary medicine in the departments I was assigned to, namely, the Sabah Veterinary Services, KPD Holdings with Desa Cattle and Sabah Wildlife Department.
After retiring early in 2000, I was involved in SOS Rhino, a US-based conservation organization, taught briefly at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and joined Companion Animal Clinic, a partnership veterinary practice.
As an opposition lawmaker, I have to earn a little more to be able to service my constituency. I also found time to work as a veterinary consultant in large animals.
As a veterinarian, we must be registered with the Malaysian Veterinary Council (MVC) and have an annual practising certificate (APC) issued to those who are actively doing veterinary practice.
Before the APC is issued, the applicant must accumulate enough CPD (continuing professional development) points as determined by the MVC.
Interestingly and rightfully, vets who are 60 years old and above have only to acquire 30 points and this can be achieved by attending the annual veterinary congress (AVC).
However, a member of the Veterinary Association of Malaysia (VAM) attending the annual general meeting (AGM) gives a vet another 20 CPD points. Without the current APC, the vet is practising illegally and this certificate must be framed and hanged prominently in the clinic.
I have more than enough CPD points to be issued an APC for 2018 after attending the VAM AGM and the AVC held on October 6-8, 2017 at Holiday Inn @ Kuala Lumpur Glenmarie Hotel in Shah Alam.
The highlight of my participation in the two events in KL was the opportunity to meet up with my classmates, Datuk Dr Quaza Nizamuddin, Dr Leow Chun Yuen and Dr Mazlan.
There were 19 of us in the Class of ‘84 but sadly I learned that two of them have passed away. I am so proud that Datuk Dr Quaza is now the director-general of Veterinary Services Malaysia and president of the VAM 2016/2018.
I cannot agree more with what is said by Dr Quaza that the annual congress is an excellent platform to exchange ideas, share information regarding application of veterinary and other allied sciences, and also a great occasion for members to meet, connect and network.
The theme of the VAM Congress was ‘One Health: Bridging Veterinary and Allied Sciences towards Nation’s Well Being’.
Dr Quaza said that in recent times several infectious and zoonotic diseases have emerged as major threats to the health of people and animals globally, resulting in sufferings and deaths.
It is timely that scientists, researchers and practitioners from the veterinary field, human health and allied sciences come together to share their experiences and come out with effective action and collaboration for our future generation.
A cooperative effort from all stakeholders, industry professionals and consumers will create a healthy symbiosis between animal-human activities and the environment in order to achieve sustainable livelihoods, human health and animal health.
At the Congress, a total of seven plenary papers, 28 scientific papers were presented and 76 poster presentations.
I must admit the scientific papers were too ‘heavy’ for me, but I was attracted to three papers, one of which asked if livestock production can feed three billion new people and save the planet, and secondly, the Animal Welfare Act 2015 (Sabah has a similar enactment) and thirdly, zoonotic wildlife parasites an endemic pathogens with global consequences.
God willing, I shall attend the 30th VAM Congress next year. Last year, the congress was held in Kuching Sarawak. I have requested Dr Quaza to consider organizing the Congress in Sabah next year.
I am proud to note that there were quite a number of veterinarians from Sabah who attended the 29th VAM Congress. I hope that in the next Congress, I will be able to see scientific papers and poster presentations by veterinarians from Sabah.