Vietnam: Shortcomings in the Ordinance on Veterinary Medicine will be addressed and rectified

However, after more than 10 years of implementation in practical life, many provisions in the Ordinance on Veterinary Medicine are no longer suitable for reality, especially in terms of not fulfilling the obligations and regulations of international agreements that Vietnam has to comply with upon joining the World Trade Organization. On the other hand, some contents of the Ordinance are not appropriate and do not meet the practical requirements of veterinary work operations etc. These include the provisions on the conditions for the declaration of disease outbreaks, which currently rely on the disease situation reports from district-level People's Committees. This regulation has led to delays and even inaccuracies in disease reporting in some localities.

Specifically, according to Clause 1 Article 17 of the Ordinance: The provincial-level People's Committee presidents decide to announce animal epidemics when fully having the following conditions: The epidemics are on the list of diseases which must be announced as epidemics occurring in the provinces, which may spread widely; Having written reports of the district-level People's Committee presidents on the situation of epidemic developments; Having obtained diagnostic conclusions determining that they are dangerous animal contagious diseases on the list of diseases which must be announced as epidemics and the written requests for epidemic announcement of the provincial-level veterinary State management veterinary agencies or the State management veterinary agency of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development or the Ministry of Fisheries. These provisions are indeed very difficult to enforce, as the law stipulates that an outbreak can only be declared if there is a potential for widespread transmission. However, determining the potential for widespread transmission is not simple. Additionally, there needs to be a written request for the outbreak declaration from the provincial veterinary authority or the veterinary authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, or the Ministry of Fisheries, before the Chairman of the provincial People's Committee can declare the affected areas. This involves a cumbersome procedure. With the current administrative processing speed, it is possible that the outbreak may already be contained or have already spread by the time it is officially declared.

The second shortcoming is that the ordinance does not specifically define the responsibilities of district-level People's Committees and commune-level People's Committees when small-scale disease outbreaks occur in a village or hamlet within a commune. Additionally, the ordinance does not provide specific provisions on the rights of livestock farmers in establishing disease-free zones and facilities, which does not create the necessary motivation for this work. Furthermore, some provisions on animal quarantine, animal product inspection, and slaughter control are no longer suitable for trade, exchange, and circulation practices. However, with the enactment of the Law on Veterinary Medicine of Vietnam, effective from July 01, 2016, these shortcomings will be addressed and comprehensive changes will be made in the work of preventing and controlling animal diseases, ensuring the safety of livestock products.

The Law on Veterinary Medicine of Vietnam consists of 116 chapters in 7 chapters, including: General provisions; Prevention and fighting against animal epidemics; Quarantine of animals/animal products; Control of the slaughter of terrestrial animals; preparation/processing of animal products; inspection of veterinary hygiene; Management of veterinary drugs; Veterinary practice; Implementary clause.

The new aspect of this law is the addition of many prohibited behaviors, such as concealing, not reporting, or not timely reporting animals infected with diseases; falsely declaring or misrepresenting the number of animals infected with diseases to benefit oneself; failing to notify or inaccurately providing information about the animal disease situation. Regarding the handling of disease outbreaks, the law has added provisions on the responsibilities of livestock owners, village veterinary staff, and commune-level People's Committees. Livestock owners must immediately isolate animals suspected or confirmed to be infected, refrain from slaughtering, trading, or disposing of dead animals into the environment etc.

Animal quarantine and inspection is one of the chapters with many new provisions. In this regard, the law has amended the principles of animal quarantine, no longer based on "large quantities, large volumes" as stipulated in the Ordinance on Veterinary Medicine 2003, but shifted towards controlling the risks of animal diseases and introduced more open regulations for the transportation of animals and animal products out of the province. If the animals or animal products originate from facilities that have implemented disease prevention measures, such as vaccination and participating in disease surveillance programs, the facility owner only needs to notify the competent veterinary authority to obtain a quarantine certificate, without having to go through the quarantine procedures. This is a breakthrough in the Law on Veterinary Medicine, aiming to facilitate the movement of animals and animal products within the country, promote the domestic livestock industry, and encourage its development. At the same time, the Law on Veterinary Medicine also promotes the privatization of veterinary activities, avoiding unnecessary inconvenience for the public and businesses, and creating a healthy business environment.

However, for the Law on Veterinary Medicine to truly come into effect, it is crucial for the Government and relevant ministries and agencies to promptly issue legal normative documents to guide the implementation of this law.

Source: Binh Phuoc Online

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE