Dr. Nigel Elliott (right), President of the Jamaica Veterinary Medical Association, introduces the Hon Karl Samuda (2nd right), Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, to (from left) guest speaker Dr. Mitsie Vargas, director of Orchid Springs Animal Hospital in the USA; sponsors Gerardo Algernon, General Manager of Merck MSD, Dr. Roger Guerrero and Martin Silva at the opening ceremony of the 30th Annual Caribbean Veterinary Medical Association Conference, held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston on November 6.
Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon Karl Samuda, has called on the Jamaica Veterinary Medical Association and the Caribbean Veterinary Medical Association to work more closely together and to be united in their approach to the work of veterinary science.
He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 30th Annual Caribbean Veterinary Medical Association in Kingston on November 6.
Minister Samuda noted that while there are many things that can be achieved through this collaboration, it was not as strong as it could be. Opinions that vary, he said, lead to policies of government within the Caribbean region that somewhat vary.
Citing the example regarding the question of importation of pets (dogs and cats), he noted that there are some member states that allow importation of while others don’t.
Jamaica , he said, has recently introduced legislation to facilitate same but noted that there are details of the process that still need to be worked out and urged the veterinarians to use the opportunity at the conference to work closer together in the sharing of ideas and approaches to expedite the processes.
The agriculture minister had high praises for the work of the Jamaican veterinarians and said that they are among some of the best.
The four-day conference is being held under the theme ‘Moving Veterinary Medicine…Back to Basics and beyond’, with some 150 participants from the Caribbean and the Americas.
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