Establishment Of UniSZA Veterinary Medicine Faculty To Help Address Shortage Of Animal Health Experts

By Nurfardlina Izzati Moktar 

JERTIH, March 9 (Bernama) -- The establishment of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) is expected to produce more experts in the field of animal health to ensure the continued development of food security and animal welfare in the country.

UNISZA Veterinary Medicine Faculty dean Ts Dr Mohd Faizal Ghazali said the need for doctors in veterinary medicine in Malaysia is currently very critical due to the country's ongoing shortage of specialists to meet the demand in both the government and private sectors.

“The shortage involves various sectors, including government services such as the Veterinary Services Department as well as industries related to animal health and management. In this regard, we heed the government's call to produce more experts in the field of animal health to ensure the continued development of food security and animal welfare in Malaysia.

“At the same time, we want to produce more veterinary medical doctors, recognised by the Malaysian Veterinary Council (MVC), to meet the needs of the country and the industry," he said to Bernama at the Dean's Office, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UniSZA Besut Campus here recently.

Mohd Faizal said that the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at UniSZA officially received approval for its establishment from the Ministry of Higher Education in November 2024.

He said the faculty offers a Bachelor of Animal Production and Health with Honours (BAPHO) programme, which has produced 15 cohorts of graduates so far.

“This programme has entered its 16th cohort. From this number, there have been graduates from the 15 cohorts and on average, each cohort has between 50 to 60 students.

“From the aspect of the programme offered, the SMPKH programme has NEC (National Education Code) Code 0841, referring to the field of Veterinary. It is one of the two programmes in Malaysia that is not in the field of Veterinary Medicine but has that NEC code because the programme includes a component of animal health," he said, adding that the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine now has eight lecturers in that faculty.

Elaborating further, he said through the SMPKH programme, students have the opportunity to acquire skills in animal health and management at clinics, whether they are livestock clinics like those for horses and cows or pet clinics like those for cats and dogs.

Meanwhile, Mohd Faizal said his team is in the process of developing the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) programme, which requires approval from the Ministry of Higher Education (KPT), the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), and the MVC before it can be offered at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

He said that if approved, UniSZA would become the third public higher education institution and the fourth higher education institution in Malaysia to offer the programme.

"We expect the first cohort of this programme to start in the 2027/2028 session, with an intake of around 30 to 40 students for the initial stage," he said.

He said the upcoming Doctor of Veterinary Medicine programme will emphasise livestock science and equine science in line with the needs of the agri-food sector in the East Coast.

"What sets apart the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine programme that will be offered by this faculty is that we have a niche in the field of animal husbandry science and also equine science. Considering that Terengganu is located on the East Coast, we will place more emphasis on animal husbandry science to support the agri-food sector in this region.

"Additionally, we will also give some focus to equine science. We might be the only institution that emphasises equine sports science such as endurance, polo and so on in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine programme," he said.

Meanwhile, Mohd Faizal said his team is also planning the development of a veterinary teaching hospital at a location in Kuala Terengganu, which will provide comprehensive facilities, including diagnostic laboratories, livestock feed research laboratories and zoonotic disease research laboratories.

"For the time being, during the first two years before the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine programme is offered, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine will operate at the UniSZA Besut Campus. However, the actual faculty (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine), along with a veterinary teaching hospital, is being planned to be built in Kuala Terengganu.

"Regarding the veterinary teaching hospital, we have actually completed the paperwork and are currently in the process of obtaining allocations from the ministry. However, the source of the allocation has not yet been finalised, whether through the university's own initiative with stakeholders or through funds from the Ministry of Agriculture," he said.

Meanwhile, Mohd Faizal said the faculty is also collaborating with the Department of Veterinary Services at the state and central levels as well as the industry, including private veterinary clinics and large livestock farms, for the purpose of industrial training, student placement and curriculum development.

He also said the faculty's research focuses on improving the genetic quality of local livestock, controlling zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance issues.

He added that in the next three to five years, the faculty intends to offer a full Doctor of Veterinary Medicine programme, in addition to producing quality graduates to meet the industry needs and support the development of the country's agro-food sector.

-- BERNAMA