TURKMENISTAN: ONLY BASIC VETERINARY SERVICES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000033 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/07/2020 TAGS: BTIO EAGR ECON EINV ETRD PGOV SOCI TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: ONLY BASIC VETERINARY SERVICES AVAILABLE Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons 1.4 (B) a nd (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The State Veterinary Service of Turkmenistan is responsible for all animal care in the country, including licensing and employment of veterinarians, maintaining healthy livestock, preventing the spread of contagious diseases, and certifying the quality of meat imports and exports. In practice, much of the veterinary care in the country, especially for pets, is provided by veterinarians on an unofficial, private basis. If the government would allow veterinarians to set up their own clinics, the quality of veterinary care would likely get better, since those vets would have the more options to obtain the medicine, equipment, and training to improve their services. END SUMMARY. STATE SERVICE FOCUSES ONLY ON MOST SERIOUS PROBLEMS ¶2. (SBU) According to Turkmen law, all veterinary services are provided by the state. However, the State Veterinary Service does not have the capacity to provide the necessary care for all of the farm animals and pets in the country. Instead, it focuses on controlling and preventing the most contagious diseases, according to contacts at the Veterinary Service. The State Veterinary Service devotes most of its efforts to livestock, responding to emergency situations like an outbreak of avian flu and vaccinating animals. It also issues certificates for the import and export of animal and meat products. Most Veterinary Service services are provided on a fee basis, but it does provide vaccinations for livestock free of charge. Since most livestock in Turkmenistan is owned by private farmers, not state farms, one of the problems that our contacts at the Veterinary Service noted was the spead of disease because farmers do not want to pay for a veterinarian's visit. ¶3. (C) Our Veterinary Service contacts told us that their Service is underfunded because the fees collected by veterinarians go to the Livestock Ministry, and are not retained by them to renovate their facilities or make other improvements. In addition, veterinarians graduate from the Livestock Department of the Agricultural University, but there is no further training available. The Veterinary Service, which was an independent agency during Soviet times, in 1995 was subordinated to the Livestock Association by order of then Minister of Health Berdimuhamedov. One of our contacts said that in 2001, he had written a letter to the Cabinet of Ministers proposing that the State Veterinary Service be made an independent body again. He was rewarded for his efforts by being demoted from Director General of Veterinary Inspection to Director of the Veterinary Laboratory. ¶4. (SBU) One of the few services that the State Veterinary Service provides for pets is rabies vaccinations. Every spring the Veterinary Service goes door to door, asking if people have dogs, and vaccinating any dogs against rabies. However, dog owners must pay a local tax of 20 manat (about $7) per year, as well as a license fee for their dogs. Our contacts tell us that most people will pay the fees to get the vaccinations because they know that rabies is serious. The Veterinary Service also is responsible for controlling stray animals, which in the past has meant shooting them or feeding them poisoned meat. PRIVATE CARE AVAILABLE, BUT LIMITED ¶5. (SBU) Although all vets are supposed to be licensed by the state and work for the State Veterinary Service, many work independently, either full time or as a supplement to their ASHGABAT 00000033 002 OF 002 regular job. These private veterinarians provide the majority of care for pets in Turkmenistan, but they only have access to a narrow range of medicines and can only provide basic services. The medicines that they give to pets are usually brought in from Turkey or India, according to one local veterinarian, although there is a private veterinary drug store that has recently opened. However, the vets do not have access to much more than antibiotics and vitamins. They cannot even get common medicine such as steroids. Simple surgeries are done at home. ¶6. (SBU) Emergency care for pets is nonexistent in Turkmenistan. One Embassy family member took a pet to a clinic that had no diagnostic equipment. It consisted of one room, with several metal tables and one intravenous fluid bag. The room was not sanitary, but the vets did at least change the needle on the IV between animals. The few dogs present were kept in cages outside. In addition, when a pet dies, it is up to the owner to dispose of the body. A local vet told us that most people just bury the dead pet in their backyard. There is no option for cremation. ¶7. (C) COMMENT: The quality of veterinary care available in Turkmenistan is insufficient to meet the need. The Veterinary Service appears to have chosen wisely in focusing its limited resources on contagious diseases, especially among livestock that serve as a food source for humans. If the government would openly allow private veterinary care, the quality of such services for people's pets would likely increase. Veterinarians would be able to purchase more medicines, set up clean clinics with more equipment, and cater to the demands of their customers. They might even be able to make enough money in their small business to travel abroad for continuing education courses in their field of specialty. END COMMENT. CURRAN