Dr. Raphael D. Folitse, Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has called for efforts to make veterinary practice more attractive.

He said they should be motivated with incentive packages to help retain them to assist and significantly improve animal health services, and also prevent animal disease outbreaks and spread.

Dr Folitse was speaking during an oath-swearing and induction ceremony held for 10 newly qualified veterinarians from the school in Kumasi.

That was the first time veterinary doctors have been trained locally as the nation had over the years relied largely on Eastern Europe, Cuba, Nigeria and Kenya to train its veterinarians.

Dr. Folitse said “please do not frustrate and drive them away to search for greener pastures elsewhere because Ghana needs them”.

Currently, less than 200 veterinarians are working in the country, a development that is hampering effective veterinary services delivery.

Dr. Folitse noted that the veterinary doctors were graduating amid sporadic outbreak of animal-borne diseases such as anthrax, rabies and re-emergence of bovine tuberculosis, avian influenza and Ebola, which were a threat to human health and asked that they worked hard to tackle them.

It is estimated that about 70 per cent of infectious diseases that affect human beings originate from animals and this makes their job vital to the safety of the people.

The Dean appealed for massive investment in veterinary medicine, saying, “the importance of veterinary medicine worldwide has never been greater in the face of the challenges facing the animal industry”.

Dr. William Amanfu, Chairman of the Veterinary Council of Ghana, reminded the graduating doctors to uphold professional ethics in the discharge of their duties.

He advised them to show greater respect to their senior colleagues, particularly during the period of their houseman-ship.