A team from the Makerere College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) has rejected a proposal to have some categories of people exempted from engaging in veterinary practice without a licence.
 
Led by Prof. Frank Norbert Mwiine, the College Principal, the educationists said allowing exemptions will perpetuate abuse of veterinary medicine and practice.
 
This, they said while appearing before the Committee on Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries on Wednesday, 12 July 2023 to present their views on the Veterinary Practitioners Bill, 2023.

Clause 24 of the bill allows the minister, upon the advice of the council to exempt any person or category of persons from the requirements of registration or licensing especially those who offer minor veterinary services such as bloodless castration, bloodless dehorning, tailing of a lamb, earmarking of an animal and any other minor treatment intended to relieve pain in an animal.
This clause, according to the experts from Makerere, has great potential to create a loophole for abuse.
“Nobody should be exempted to engage in veterinary practice without a license,” Prof. Mwiine said.