The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) has announced in a statement that a new law licensing and regulating the city’s veterinarians, veterinary clinics and other animal businesses took effect yesterday.
Previously, the bureau held four seminars to help the vet sector better understand the new regulations, with nearly 200 industry representatives attending, according to the statement.
The statement underlined that supplementary by-laws (officially known as administrative regulations) of the law have already been issued, and the contents of an official list of premises, facilities and equipment, as well as drugs of concern to the industry will also be announced in the near future.
The law stipulates that those who plan to work as a veterinarian in Macau will have to obtain a veterinary bachelor’s degree, for them to be officially recognised by a committee as being qualified to work as a vet here. Afterwards, those who have been accredited by the committee will have to apply to be licensed by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM).
Once the law comes into force, the statement said, members of the public can report to the government-appointed veterinary committee if they suspect a veterinarian of breaching his or her professional duties.
The statement also said that if there is any suspicion that a veterinary clinic is involved in an illegal situation, members of the public can contact the bureau, and that in cases involving consumer disputes or claims, one can file a complaint with the Macau Consumer Council (CC) or recover damages through civil proceedings.
Members of the public are welcome to visit the bureau’s website at www.iam.gov.mo/canil or the special website for the new law at www.cpmv.gov.mo.
This poster downloaded from the Macau Animal Health Control Website yesterday promotes the new law on licensing vets and animal clinics.
