| October 5, 2014 GENERAL MEETING |
October 6, 2014
The second regular JVMA General Meeting of the 2014 calendar year took place on Sunday October 5th, 2014 at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston. The meeting was attended by 46 veterinarians - greater than 50% of the current number resident in the island - the largest turnout for a General Meeting in several years. It started promptly, on-time, at 1:00 PM, following arrivals and signing in which began at 12:30.
There were two scientific presentations which were valued at 1.5 CVME credit hours by the Continuing Education Accreditation Committee (CEAC) of the Jamaica Veterinary Board. Dr. Osbil Watson, Director of Veterinary Services and Jamaica's delegate to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), gave a presentation on the structure and status of disease reporting to the OIE followed by a review of a number of currently active diseases around the world, including Rabies, Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea and Porcine Delta Coronavirus, Avian Influenza, Foot and Mouth Disease, and African Swine Fever among others. Dr. Audrie McNab, who lectures in Veterinary Pharmacy in the Pharmacy programme at the University of Technology, gave a refresher course in veterinary prescrition writing. A number of considerations, including certain differences in the abbreviations commonly used by physicians in Jamaica, were covered.
Dr. Nigel Elliott, recently returned to Jamaica from the Cayman Islands and newly employed to the Veterinary Services Division, gave an overview of the upcoming Caribbean Veterinary Medical Association Conference to be held in the Cayman Islands from November 4 - 7, 2014. He encouraged members who have not already done so to register to attend. He noted that the conference was attracting strong registration from North America and beyond, but needed stronger Caribbean participation. He also noted that Jamaican delegates would be given visa waivers by the Cayman government, but they would need to register and submit the required information for the waiver by October 15. All this could be done on the conference website.
The customary discussion of matters arising ensued, including proposals for re-engaging the Ministry of Agriculture on matters of concern following the untimely death of Minister Clarke, plans for World Veterinary Day 2015, the status of the revised Veterinary Act & Regulations and more.
T. Geddes Grant Distributors exhibited products during the meeting, including a number of veterinary-only items and the Poen line of ophthamologic preparations including antimicrobials, anti-inflammatories, glaucoma treatments and diagnostic aids, among others.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:00 PM.
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| The capacity audience at the October 5, 2014 General Meeting. T. Geddes Grant Distributors were exhibitors, displaying veterinary and ophthalmologic products. |
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| Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Osbil Watson addressing the meeting on the OIE disease reporting system and current diseases of special interest around the world. |
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| Dr. Audrie McNab, lecturer in Veterinary Pharmacy at the University of Technology, is all smiles during her presentation on veterinary prescriptions. |
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| Treasure Beach Community Spay-Neuter Clinic September 20 & 21, 2014 |
| November 1, 2014
The Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA) spay-neuter clinic in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth was held as planned on September 20 and 21, despite at least two volunteer vets having to cancel particpation having been struck down by the Chikungunya virus. A total of seven Jamaican veterinarians particpated over the two days with 123 dogs and cats being spayed or neutered.
The breakdown of the animals done is as follows:
Dogs: 62 Cats: 61 - including 44 feral cats.
Click HERE for a detailed report of this community service event.
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TREASURE BEACH SPAY NEUTER CLINIC FLYER |
| SPOTLIGHT ON ILLEGAL PRACTICE |
September 14, 2014
The Jamaican news media has shone a spotlight on the issue of illegal practice by non-veterinarians in Jamaica. This comes on the heels of news reports of the stabbing death of a woman in May Pen, Clarendon, in which the alleged perpetrator was reported at being a "veterinarian". The JVMA was quick to issue a release pointing out that this person is NOT a veterinarian and highlighting the incidence of illegal practice across the island by persons pretending to be such.
The press release was as follows:
"The Jamaica Veterinary Medical Association (JVMA) would like to inform the public that the person charged in the brutal murder of a woman in May Pen, as reported in the print and electronic media on September 4, 2014, is NOT a veterinarian nor is he a veterinary technician and has NO affiliation with any veterinary practice, organization or entity.
The Association has been informed by one of our members that the individual did work in their corporate area practice several years ago in a janitorial role but was dismissed.
The JVMA would like to remind the public that a Veterinarian is a veterinary medical doctor trained for at least 5 years in an accredited tertiary institution who must be duly registered by the Jamaica Veterinary Board (JVB) under the Veterinary Act (1976) in order to practice veterinary medicine in Jamaica. The only other official category of veterinary health care personnel is the Animal Health Assistant, otherwise called a veterinary technician who must also receive formal training approved by the JVB and is duly enrolled as such to work under the supervision of a registered veterinarian.
There are also veterinary clinic assistants who may work with veterinarians within their clinical practices, but they have no authority to work on their own outside of the immediate supervision of their employer. The JVMA has lobbied for this category to be regulated by the JVB under a revised Veterinary Act which has been pending for several years.
There are many persons around the country who pretend to be veterinary personnel and engage in illegal practice. The public is advised that all registered veterinary medical doctors possess an identification card issued by the JVB in addition to a registration certificate and an annual licensing certificate. They should ask to see this identification in order to ensure proper, professional health care for their animals.
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For a list of registered veterinarians please visit the JVMA website at http://www.jvma.org/generalinformation/registeredveterinarians.html . Acts of illegal practice may be reported to the police and also the Jamaica Veterinary Board at 977-2489, 977-2492 e-mail jvb@moa.gov.jm.
The JVMA offers deep condolences to the family and friends of the victim of this heinous act."
The two articles in the Sunday Gleaner of September 14, 2014 can be viewed by clicking the links below:
Article 1
Article 2
Click the link below to view the report on the Television Jamaica (TVJ) Evening News of September 8, 2014:
TVJ News Report
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| 5 NEW VETERINARIANS REGISTERED IN JAMAICA |
August 16, 2014
Five veterinarians, all graduates of the University of the West Indies School of Veterinary Medicine at St. Augustine in Trinidad & Tobago, have recently been registered by the Jamaica Veterinary Board, having been successful in the July sitting of the National Examination for the Registration of Veterinarians and, subsequently, having completed the registration process.
They are Drs. Farrah Bailey, Ryan Chanona, Denise Cole, Terrina Jones and Kristin Moses. Dr. Chanona is from Trinidad & Tobago. Congratulations and welcome to all!
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| DR. KEVIN WALKER is the new JVMA President |
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| Dr. Kevin Walker |
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New Executive elected at Annual General Meeting
The 2014 Annual General Meeting of the Jamaica Veterinary Medical Association was held on Sunday, July 6, 2014 at the Tree House meeting room at the Hope Zoo. The meeting saw the election of a new Executive Committee to conduct the Association’s business over the next twelve months.
The newly elected President is Dr. Kevin Walker, a 2008 graduate of the University of the West Indies School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Augustine, Trinidad. It is a historic moment for the JVMA as Dr. Walker is the first graduate from UWI-SVM – the first from any Caribbean veterinary school for that matter – to lead the Association. He works with the Jamaica Broilers Group.
Dr. Walker replaces Dr. Robert Thomas who, having led the JVMA for the past three years, had completed his term limit. Dr. Thomas automatically remains on the Executive for the coming year as Immediate Past President.
Returning to another term as Vice-President is Dr. John Josephs while former President Dr. Sarah Wilkinson-Eytle is once again in the post of Secretary, having held that position in the past. Assistant Secretary went to Dr. Julie-Anne Small and another former President, Dr. Graham Brown, took over the post of Treasurer from the long-serving Dr. Natalie Burnett.
Executive sub-committee chairpersons were elected as follows: Nominations & Membership - Dr Natalie Burnett, Rights & Welfare – Dr. Rayon Gregory, Judicial & Parliamentary – Dr. Kareen Robinson, Education & Research – Dr. Roxanne Bennett, Public Relations – Dr. Paul Cadogan. Dr. Wintorph Marsden remains as Commonwealth Veterinary Association representative.
The position of Ethics & Discipline Chairperson is vacant as the elected member subsequently indicated inability to accept the position due to personal circumstances.
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| FALMOUTH SPAY-NEUTER CLINIC |
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A free spay & neuter clinic was held in Falmouth, Trelawny on the weekend of June 21-22, 2014. An all-local cadre of veterinarians, veterinary technicians and volunteer staff gave their time and energy to assist with the control of the population growth of dogs and cats in the area.
The clinic was held at the Ellison Wakeland Community Centre, next door to the Falmouth Hospital. 100 dogs and 41 cats were spayed or neutered over the two days, with 21 of the cats being feral, trapped from three locations (Falmouth Hospital, Duncans-Silver Sands, Sunflower Inn, Runaway Bay).
Organized by Dr. Lesley Robson (US-based Jamaican veterinarian) and Pamela Lawson (Executive Director, JSPCA) with the support of eight local vets and a number of veterinary technicians and other support staff/volunteers, the clinic was the first to be carried out entirely without temporarily registered overseas volunteers since 2008.
For a list of sponsors, participating veterinarians, technicians and staff, plus a detailed breakdown of the animals that had surgery, please click on the PDF link to the left.
THE NEXT JSPCA SPAY NEUTER CLINIC WILL BE HELD IN TREASURE BEACH ST. ELIZABETH, SEPTEMBER 20 & 21, 2014. Click Here for Flyer.
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