The practice of quackery has eaten deep into the fabric of the Nigerian nation to such an extent that no profession is spared. Ruth Tene Natsa takes a look at this trend in veterinary medicine and its effects on animal production.
While animals anywhere in the world have high economic value with the resources gained from the trading of hide and skin, it is not so in Nigeria as a result of the high consumption of animal skin, (particularly cow-skin, popularly known as ‘kpomo’).
Aside the threat to animal life due to high consumption, the rate of quackery in animal health also poses a high risk to the nation’s animal life which is not only a danger to the nation’s economy, but to the future of cattle and other animals.
Also while the practice of quackery may not be unique to Nigeria only, it has become a disturbing phenomenon that quacks in all professions get away with their unsafe practices. Sadly the issue of quackery in animal health is worse as the concern to animal life is almost zero.
The Merriam Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus defines quackery as the practice by a person who pretends to have medical skills; a pretender to medical skill. While some of these pretenders may have partial knowledge of what they practice, many others lack the knowledge and skills.
The boom in veterinary quackery has been blamed on several factors including poverty, poor education, illiteracy, greed and the inconsistency of government in checking quackery among several other factors. It is further encouraged by the fact that most Nigerians find it cheaper to deal with quacks rather than go to professionals, combined with the fact that the nation is yet to battle with the issues that affect humans and are nonchalant to the lives of their animals.
When recently the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN) called on the public not to patronise quack doctors to ensure high standard in the profession in order to ensure best practices in the profession, it seemed like a wolf’s cry as many took the warning as an unnecessary alarm.
The Registrar of the Council, Dr Marcus Avong, who spoke on the challenges facing the council said that every Nigerian had a critical role to play in ensuring that professional doctors are engaged in line with international best practice. He emphasised the need that Nigerians must identify veterinary doctors with their identification numbers before engaging them in any form of business.
The VCN which is the regulatory body established by the federal government to ensure quality in the practice of veterinary medicine has therefore taken a stand to prosecute defaulters who continue to put the professional ethics of members at risk.
The president, VCN, Professor Gabriel Ogunjipe, who also spoke with journalists at the 104 regular meeting of the council in Abuja recently, said the purpose of the meeting was to consider the registration of new veterinary doctors to licence them to practice veterinary medicine in Nigeria and also to agree on the format of selecting and approving the licences.
He said the council, in addition, will also look at ways to maintain the ethics of veterinary practice and ensure disciplinary action against reports of misbehaviours from any veterinary surgeon to ensure discipline in the council as well as consider the constitution of a new college board .
A private veterinarian, Dr Charles Ibe, said, “what is responsible for quackery in the profession is that in this country people do not obey the laws even though they are there. The setting to becoming a veterinarian is captured in the veterinary’s surgeons act of 1969 as amended in 1987. The law is there but Nigerians prefer quackery in every profession you can think of.
“This is a country where people believe in lawlessness. This belief in lawlessness is fed by the illusion that when you encroach into somebody’s territory and the person wants to off, you there will be friction. But at the end of the day, we will carry the day, because the law is on our side.”
If quacks are caught and it is brought to the knowledge of the veterinary council, there are protocols they go through and if found guilty, they are likely to end up in court.
Meanwhile, Avong, while reacting to the arrest of some quack veterinary surgeons said the council is to prosecute those practicing without authorisation because the veterinary surgeons act is very clear on the fact that you cannot practice veterinary medicine or indeed be a veterinary surgeon without being registered. It is an issue of law and those who are reported to us are will be prosecuted.
He said, “There are some people practicing veterinary medicine who are not licenced doctors. Such people were discovered practicing in Rivers states and the matter is coming up for discussion.
“For people who are not eligible to practice but are practicing, they have violated the veterinary surgeons act of Nigeria and once it is proven, they will be prosecuted. If a practitioner is practicing in a way that is contrary to the dictates of the veterinary ethics, such a person will be disciplined,” he noted.
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