The University of Fort Hare is one step closer to establishing SA’s second veterinary hospital after its plans received support from agriculture minister John Steenhuisen.
Delegates from the university met Steenhuisen in early March where the minister supported plans to build the hospital.
In its presentation to Steenhuisen, UFH said the proposed facility would include a theatre and intensive care unit, a day ward and pharmacy, an isolation ward, a diagnostic laboratory and night shift staff accommodation.
The university calculated the total cost for the upgrade of the clinic into the hospital to be about R253m.
Lebogang Botsheleng, deputy director-general for food security and agrarian reform in the department of agriculture, said Steenhuisen was in support of the idea, however the issue was the financing of the hospital.
“The minister indicated that the department does not have the financial resources required but supported the initiative,” Botsheleng said.
However, Steenhuisen said there was an urgent need to expand veterinary capacity in the country.
UFH’s immediate plans are the completion of the veterinary clinic at its Honeydale Farm in Dikeni which is set to cost the institution about R22m.
This would then be expanded into the hospital.
This was scheduled to be done together with establishing a new faculty at the university, the faculty of veterinary and agricultural sciences.
An additional grant of about R80m has also been approved by the department of higher education and training to build the first phase of veterinary sciences facilities at Honeydale.
This initiative has the potential to transform the province’s animal health landscape, strengthen rural economies, and expand access to veterinary services for emerging and commercial farmers alike
— Bonginkosi Dayimani, head of department for agriculture
The head of department for agriculture in the province, Bonginkosi Dayimani, said the move towards establishing the veterinary hospital would be a significant milestone for the province.
“This initiative has the potential to transform the province’s animal health landscape, strengthen rural economies, and expand access to veterinary services for emerging and commercial farmers alike.
“The Eastern Cape contributes about 60% of the South African livestock herd but due to its high rural nature, livestock farmers lack access to veterinary care as veterinarians prefer to work in urban areas,” Dayimani said.
The university believes the bachelor of veterinary science (BVSc) programme, which is still to be approved by the higher education department, would address and boost SA’s shortage of veterinarians, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
Students from the programme would be taught to improve livestock and aquaculture health, strengthen disease surveillance, boost food security and contribute to public health, while also developing expertise in wildlife and aquatic veterinary medicine, and from there they would be funnelled into the hospital.
In his state of the province address, premier Oscar Mabuyane said his office was pleased with the university’s progress in establishing a veterinary school and that it would “strengthen scientific research in our province”.
Agri Eastern Cape chair Peter Cloete said he had some reservations about building the hospital because it was unclear how exactly animals would be treated and whether large animals would need to be transported or not.
However, Cloete said that there was a shortage of vets for large animals.
“I would [prefer] that a veterinary training college be opened that would train extra vets who would then travel to the sick animals.
“It is much easier to have animals treated where they are,” Cloete said.
South African Veterinary Association (SAVA) education committee chair Prof Ivan Lwanga-Iga said there was a need for more veterinarians, veterinary faculties and institutions that would make use of qualified veterinarians, such as the planned hospital.
“The current foot-and-mouth disease in the country is partly a result of the fact that we do not have enough veterinarians in this country.”
Daily Dispatch
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