Speech by SMS Tan Kiat How at the Singapore Vet Show
Oct 25, 2024
Good morning. Happy to join you all once again at this year’s Singapore Vet Show.
I understand that you have an exciting agenda ahead of you over the next two days, featuring developments and new insights in veterinary practice, from diagnosis to treatment to management.
I want to start by expressing our gratitude for the remarkable work that dedicated vet professionals like yourselves do daily.
Each of you plays an integral role within the communities by ensuring animal health and welfare, which directly impacts public health and safety.
Since last year’s Vet Show, we have continued to work hard together:
To advance animal care in Singapore, enhance animal welfare and health, and uplift the future of the sector,
And we have done so, with a spirit of innovation and collaboration.
Embracing Telehealth in Vet Practice
First, on our innovative spirit, we launched a set of guidelines on vet telehealth in May this year, jointly developed by NParks and the Singapore Veterinary Association.
As many of you know, vet telehealth differs fundamentally from human telehealth. Animal patients cannot describe their symptoms, which makes accurate assessment quite a bit of a challenge.
While pet owners can provide subjective assessments, these can sometimes be misleading.
Animals also have an incredible ability to conceal discomfort, and their behavioural cues can be subtle.
This is why a physical examination by a vet is crucial, and establishing a vet-client-patient relationship is essential before we can accurately diagnose or prescribe any course for treatment.
The guidelines therefore serve as a valuable resource for all of us — vets, pet owners, and the public.
They set clear boundaries, identify areas of risk, and offer practical guidance to enhance animal health and welfare.
By following these guidelines, we can boost public confidence among vets and clients, ensuring that telehealth serves as an effective complement to in-person visits.
These guidelines represent an evolution in how we engage with our clients and their animals, especially in a world increasingly influenced by technology, and demonstrates our commitment to keeping up with innovative moves within the healthcare sector.
I would like to thank the vet community, especially the Telehealth Guidelines Working Group, for working closely with us on this significant milestone in laying the groundwork for a responsible and effective approach to virtual care in the field.
Strengthening Animal and Community Health Through Collaboration and Community-Centred Work
Second, we have made strides in animal and community health, thanks to the collaboration and commitment from the vet community.
For example, we see this collaborative spirit in Ops Vax Lyssa, our annual rabies vaccination programme for dogs on our coastal fish farms and Pulau Ubin.
While Singapore has maintained its rabies-free status for over 70 years, vigilance in monitoring the disease is paramount to prevent the incursion of illnesses that could threaten both animal and public health.
This year’s exercise has just concluded and we vaccinated around 80 dogs. Since the programme’s start in 2018, I am pleased to share that we have vaccinated over 300 dogs.
We are deeply appreciative of the dedication and support from the vet community, including professionals and students who volunteer for Ops Vax Lyssa each year. Your efforts ensure that we are safeguarding the health of our animal populations and, by extension, the well-being of our communities.
We also see this collaborative spirit in our ongoing cat management efforts.
With the participation of about 70 vets, nurses and volunteers, we have sterilised and microchipped over 370 pet cats during four successful Pet Cat Sterilisation Days since November last year, with one more planned for later this year.
Additionally, since May this year, we’ve offered free microchipping for over 1,600 pet cats at pet-related events.
I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the vets, nurses, and volunteers who have supported these initiatives. Your contributions are invaluable, and they demonstrate our collective commitment to improving cat welfare.
The demand for these free microchipping services remains high, and we hope to expand the number of microchipping drives in 2025.
We will also continue our efforts in the Pet Cat Sterilisation Support (PCSS) programme, which we launched in September alongside the Cat Management Framework to support low-income households with free microchipping and sterilisation of their pet cats.
I encourage each of you to support us by:
Volunteering for AVS microchipping drives and Pet Cat Sterilisation Days,
Collaborating with animal welfare groups to provide microchipping services at their pet-centric events, or
Offering free or discounted microchipping and subsidised sterilisation services at your clinics, especially for low-income households.
Your expertise and support are vital to the success of these programmes.
Together, we can enhance the welfare of cats in our communities and foster a more compassionate and responsible pet-owning society.
Innovation and Collaboration in Our Upcoming Vet Council
Finally, to look to how innovation and collaboration may continue to grow in the coming years, let me provide a brief update on the formation of the Vet Council.
Last year, I announced that we will be establishing a Vet Council as part of our ongoing efforts to elevate the professional standards and practices within the vet industry, and to provide better support for vet professionals.
The Vet Council will govern the registration of veterinary professionals, accredit veterinary training programmes, develop and review sectoral standards, as well as investigate and enforce against disciplinary cases.
We are currently in the process of bringing the Vet Council to fruition.
We are working towards an enactment of the legislation to support the functions of the Vet Council and to provide greater clarity on the various aspects of vet work, such as the scope of activities that can only be performed by vet professionals.
As members of the vet profession, these changes and policies will have a direct impact on all of you, and your feedback is crucial as we develop our plans.
For those who have already shared your insights through our surveys and engagements, thank you. Your contributions are invaluable.
In the coming months, we will be reaching out to gather more feedback, and we hope to hear your concerns and the challenges you face.
Together, we can shape the future of our profession and elevate the standards that govern our practices.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I want to reiterate my gratitude for each of you. Your dedication, compassion, and expertise are what drive the vet profession forward.
The topics that you will discuss at the Singapore Vet Show are pathways to making a real difference in the lives of the animals we serve and the communities we are part of.
Do take this opportunity to learn from one another, to share our experiences, and to innovate and collaborate for the greater good.
I am very heartened that mental health and awareness of mental health issues are on the agenda at this year’s Vet Show.
It is a very important topic, often overlooked and underappreciated – so please do learn and share more about it. More importantly, know that even as you do your best in this profession as part of the community – you are not alone. We are in this together, as part of the sector and the industry.
It’s the collaboration we have here in Singapore, between the government, private sector, vet community, civil society and non-governmental organisations like animal welfare groups, all working together hand in hand – so you’re not alone in this effort, and your contributions make a real difference.
Thank you very much.