INTRODUCTION
Effective veterinary system needs enough qualified veterinarian (OIE,
2011, 2012). China had set up the regime of licensed
veterinarian and created the relative examination in 2009 and originally hoped
to perform the licensed veterinary system in 2014. Whereas, only about 50,000
persons got the qualification of licensed veterinarian till to 2012. With the
little number, the Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s Republic of
China changed the schedule and planned to completely take the system in practice
in 2017. Notwithstanding, Chinese government and people still worry about the
possibility of the full scale operation of veterinary system, because they didn’t
know the precise human resources of veterinarian. Allowing for that the veterinarians
servicing in government functional branch do not need the qualification of veterinarian
at present, we only considered the possible position numbers in veterinary service
organization (clinic, hospital and Public veterinary service station) and animal
husbandry (animal farm, veterinary pharmaceutics and device industry, animal
feeds industry and wild animal protection) which need licensed veterinarians
according to the laws for animal health in China. To further evaluate the reliability
of above data, we calculated the possible licensed veterinarian position numbers
in China based on the level of veterinarian rate with population in America,
British, Japan, Australia and Canada and analyzed their concordance. Forever,
the development tendency and possible number of veterinary position numbers
in China in 2017 was deduced depending on the data in 2010 and 2011.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Veterinary position number needed in China in 2011: China needed 176,843
veterinary position nymbers in 2011. Thereinto, veterinary service organization
and animal husbandry respectively occurred 74,409 (42.08%) and 102,434 (57.92%).
In animal husbandry, veterinary drug and device industry needed 3,088 (1.75%),
feed industry needed 22,410 (12.67%) and animal farm needed 76,936 (43.5%).
Veterinary position number needed in veterinary service organizations:
The <Regulation on animal diagnosis and treatment organization management
in China>specified that animal clinic and hospital at least have one and
three licensed veterinarians respectively. According to the statistics of the
Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s
Republic of China, there were 16,597 private clinics and 2,308 private hospitals
in China mainland. Therefore, the minimum veterinary position was 23,521 (Table
1).
Otherwise, China had 31 provinces (straight administration cities or autonomous
regions), 318 cities, 2861 counties and 44,080 towns. In past years, China had
set up complete veterinary service system and every province, city, county and
town had one public veterinary service station. Obeying the demand of the Ministry
of Agriculture of the People’s
Republic of China, every public veterinary service station in province, city,
county and town should respectively have four, three, two and one veterinarians.
With these data, veterinary positions in public veterinary service station were
47,697 (Table 1).
The total veterinary position numbers needed in veterinary service organizations
were 74,409 (Table 1).
Veterinary position number needed in animal husbandry: Animal husbandry
mainly included veterinary drug and device industry, animal feed industry and
animal farm.
Veterinary positions needed in veterinary drug and device industry:
<The regulation on veterinary drugs in China> defined that veterinary
drug enterprise must have technician of veterinary medicine. Forever, Veterinary
Bureau of Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s Republic of China emphasized
that veterinary drug enterprise should have licensed veterinarian.
| Table 1: |
Veterinary position number in veterinary service organization
of China in 2011 |
 |
| Veterinary position number were the minimum demand |
| Table 2: |
Veterinary position number needed in veterinary drug and
devices industry of China in 2011 |
 |
| Veterinary position number were the minimum demand |
| Table 3: |
Veterinary position numbers needed in feed industry of China
in 2011 |
 |
| Veterinary position number were the minimum demand |
Depending on the value of output every year, the enterprise lower than 10 million
China Yuan of output at least had one licensed veterinarian, 10 to 50 million
should have two licensed veterinarians, 50 to 100 million should have three
licensed veterinarians and higher than 100 million should have four licensed
veterinarians. Otherwise, every enterprise of veterinary device should have
one licensed veterinarian. The total veterinary position numbers were 3,088
(Table 2).
Veterinary positions needed in animal feed industry: Veterinarians in
animal feed industry make a crucial contribution in the field of food safety.
China government demand the animal feed industry at least invite one veterinarian
for the services of veterinary technique. Otherwise, large commercial feed enterprises
should have one veterinarian servicing for the prescription of drug additive.
<Statistics of China feed industry in 2011> showed that China had 15,354
feed enterprises including 1,470 feed additive enterprises, 2,894 premixed feed
enterprises and 10,662 commercial feed enterprises. In these commercial feed
enterprises, the output lower than 10,000 tons had 12,662 enterprises and higher
than 10,000 tons had 2,692 enterprises. With these data, we evaluated that animal
feed industry at least need 22,410 veterinary position numbers (Table
3).
Veterinary positions needed in animal farm: <Regulation of qualification
on the condition of animal epidemic prevention in China> and <Administration
rule on the production of animal heredity materials in China> claimed that
animal farm must have qualified veterinarian. Beside wild animals the main animals
in China were poultry, pig, cow, beef and sheep.
China had 213 zoos and 574 veterinarians serviced for wild animals (Table
4). Of the total, 31 large zoos had 155 veterinarians and every one had
5 veterinarians, 182 small zoos had 364 veterinarians and every one had 2 veterinarians,
11 large wild animal zoos had 55 veterinarians and every one had 5 veterinarians
(Zhang and Ding, 2011).
| Table 4: |
Veterinary positions needed in animal farms of China in 2011 |
 |
| -: Meant the amount of enterprise was unclear. Veterinary
position number were the minimum demand |
China had 36,627 egg farms including 34,186 farms with 10,000-49,999 hens,
1,887 farms with 50,000-99,999 hens, 531 farms with 100,000-499,999 hens and
23 farms with over 500,000 hens (The statistical data of Animal husbandry bureau
of the Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s
Republic of China) (Table 4). The minimum veterinary position
numbers in above farms according to their rearing amount respectively were 1,
2, 3 and 4 and then, the total veterinarian position numbers should be 39,645
in egg farm (Table 4).
China had 25,890 chicken farms including 19,274 farms with 50,000-99,999 chickens,
5,605 farms with 100,000-499,999 chickens, 701 farms with 500,000-999,999 chickens
and 309 farms with over 1,000,000 chickens (The statistical data of Animal husbandry
bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s
Republic of China) (Table 4). The veterinarians in above farms
according to their rearing amount respectively were 0, 1, 2 and 3 and then,
the total veterinary positions should be 7,934 in chicken farm (Table
4).
China had 11,414 pig farms including 6,315 farms with 5,000-9,999 pigs, 3,937
farms with 10,000-49,999 pigs and 162 farms with over 50,000 pigs (The statistical
data ofAnimal husbandry bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s
Republic of China) (Table 4). The veterinarians in above farms
according to their rearing amount respectively were 1, 2 and 3 and then, the
total veterinarian positions should be 14,675 in pig farm (Table
4).
China had 3,103 cow farms including 2,083 farms with 500-999 cows and 1,020
farms with over 1,000 cows (The statistical data of Animal husbandry bureau
of the Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s
Republic of China) (Table 4). The veterinarians in above farms
according to their rearing amount, respectively were 1 and 2 and then, the total
veterinarian positions should be 4,123 in cow farm (Table 4).
China had 4,384 beef farms including 3,344 farms with 500-999 beefs and 940
farms with over 1,000 beefs (The statistical data of Animal husbandry bureau
of the Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s
Republic of China) (Table 4). The veterinarians in above farms
according to their rearing amount respectively were 1 and 2 and then, the total
veterinarian positions should be 5,224 in beef farm (Table 4).
China had 26,753 sheep farms including 21,993 farms with 500-999 sheep and
4,760 farms with over 1,000 sheep (The statistical data of Animal husbandry
bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s
Republic of China) (Table 4). The veterinarians in above farms
according to their rearing amount respectively were 0 and 1 and then, the total
veterinarian positions should be 4,760 in sheep farm (Table 4).
The veterinary position numbers were the minimum demand.
Veterinary position numbers in China deduced depending on the rate of veterinarians
to population in other countries: Canada had 12,215 veterinarians and 35,002,447
peoples in 2012 and the rate of veterinarians to population was 0.0349% (CVMA,
2013; Government of Canada, 2013). British had 24,576
veterinarians and 63,668,394 peoples in 2011, the rate of veterinarians to population
was 0.0386% (RCVS, 2013; UN, 2012).
Australia had 6,358 veterinarians and 19.3 million peoples in 2001, the rate
of veterinarians to population was 0.033% (Heath, 2002).
Japan had 29,000 veterinarians, the rate of veterinarians to population was
0.025% (JVMA, 2008; UN, 2013).
America had 97,111 veterinarians and 31.3 million people in 2012, the rate of
veterinarians to population was 0.0386% (AVMA, 2011;
UN, 2013). According to the rate of veterinarians to
population in Canada, British, Australia, Japan and America, the possible veterinarian
position numbers in China was respectively 467,000, 517,000, 441,900, 334,800
and 415,000. According to the result of the sixth national census in 2011, the
population of China was 1,339,000,000 (SSBC, 2011) and
so, the average of possible veterinary position numbers in China was 435,175
(0.032%) (Table 5).
| Table 5: |
Veterinary position number in China deduced according to
the data of other country |
 |
| Veterinary position number were the minimum demand |
| Table 6: |
Growth rate of veterinary position number in veterinary service
organizations from 2011 to 2012 in Beijing |
 |
| Veterinary position number were the minimum demand |
The position numbers in government should be veterinarian in above countries
but that was not necessary in China. Besides the 265,000 veterinary position
numbers in governmental organization (Zhang, 2012),
China needed 170,175 veterinary position numbers in veterinary service organization
and animal husbandry which was very anastomotic with the data 176,843 described
previously. Furthermore, the total numbers and rate of veterinary position were
also very near between (441,843 and 435,175 and 0.0330 and 0.0320%).
Development tendency and possible number of veterinary position numbers
in China in 2017: The growth rate of veterinary position number was calculated
according to the data of veterinary service organization and animal husbandry
from 2010 to 2011. The annual incremental rate of veterinary position numbers
in veterinary service organization was 11.70% and then the position numbers
in 2017 was 144,526. On other hand, the annual incremental rate of veterinary
position numbers in animal husbandry was 11.46% and then the position numbers
in 2017 was 147,550. The average annual incremental rate was 11.58% and the
veterinary position numbers will be up to 292,076 in 2017 in China.
Possible position number of veterinary service organization in China in
2017: Beijing had 321 veterinary service organization including 74 clinics
and 247 hospitals in 2010 (BMBA, 2011). Whereas, the
above data was respectively changed to 354, 69 and 285. according to the demand
of Veterinary Bureau of Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s Republic
of China described previously, the annual incremental rate of veterinary position
number was 11.70% (Table 6). Therefore, the position numbers
of veterinary service organization in China will be 144,526 in 2017 deduced
depending on the data of Beijing.
Possible position number of animal husbandry in China in 2017: The development
of feed, drug and veterinary device industry mainly depends on animal farm in
China. So, we deduced the possible veterinary positions of animal industry according
to the growth rate of animal farm from 2010 to 2011 (Table 7).
The annual incremental rate of veterinary position number in animal farms was
11.46% and the position numbers will increase up to 147,550 in 2017 (Table
7).
The veterinary position numbers were the minimum demand.
| Table 7: |
Annual incremental rate of veterinary position in animal husbandry
from 2010 to 2011 and the possible position number in animal husbandry in
China in 2017 |
 |
| -: Meant the amount of enterprise was unclear |
DISCUSSION
Veterinarians in China usually do all the technique work in animal farm, such
as medication, animal feeding, immune vaccination and drug and vaccine management.
Sometimes, they participate in the daily management. With this specific phenomenon
originated from the old veterinary system, accurate veterinary position numbers
were difficult to calculate. We attempted to add up the veterinarians from questionnaire
but the data were obviously different with that we investigated in farms. Certainly,
it’s difficult to investigate
every farm in China.
The veterinary position numbers were divided into two large parts. The first
part was the position numbers in veterinary service organizations including
governmental station and private clinic or hospital. The second part was the
position numbers in animal husbandry actually including feed, drug and veterinary
device industry and animal farm. The 265,000 positions in governmental administration
was a definitive number which was announced by Veterinary Bureau of Ministry
of Agriculture of the People’s
Republic of China and this number would not increased with the current policy
of China government.
The position numbers in veterinary service organizations and animal husbandry
in new veterinary system would rise quickly. The possible reasons were (1) The
quick developmental economic circumstance, (2) The opened veterinary service
policy, (3) The relegated governmental functional authority to private service
organization. Considering the low passing rate of licensed veterinarian examination
in the past years, China would not only take the licensed veterinary system
in full scale operation in 2014 and also in 2017, because the demand of licensed
veterinary position numbers increased with the rate of 11.7% and the total number
in veterinary service organizations and animal husbandry will be up to 292,076
in 2017.
A special Chinese traditional culture as before affects the employment orientation
of the persons who passed the examination of licensed veterinary medicine. Generally,
Chinese think that “study for
becoming an officer”. Many of
the students who passed the licensed examination, hoped to get a duty in governmental
office or institute. Some veterinarians changed their job while got the qualification
of licensed veterinarian. Depending on the statistics of Chinese Veterinary
Medical Association, only 22% of the persons who got the qualification of licensed
veterinarian from 2009 to 2011 were employed in veterinary service organizations
and animal husbandry. Although the young generation gradually changed their
idea, the shortage of veterinarian was still large at present.
Statistics showed that most of the persons who passed the licensed veterinary
examination were employed in central cities and mainly serviced for the diagnosis
and treatment of small animals. This phenomenon was same as in other countries.
A special policy was executed that the person who had experienced the veterinary
medical education in university and been verified as a higher professional title
(equal to or higher than associate professor) needed not to take part in the
examination and directly awarded qualification of licensed veterinarian. Government
originally hoped to redeem the shortage of veterinarian after the system in
practice with this policy but usually, a person within these conditions was
employed in institute and university and some of them were officers.
Now-a-days, China has 178 universities or colleges engaged in the education
of veterinary medicine and about 20,000 students would graduate every year.
Most of the graduates might take part in the national examination of licensed
veterinarian but only a few passed.
With the above analysis, we thought that the licensed veterinarian system might
not be taken in fully scale practice in 2017 unless China (1) Prolonging the
tome limit for the system in practice, (2) Firstly taking the system in practice
in central city, (3) Firstly taking the system in practice in the field of diagnosis
and treatment for small animals, (4) Temporally authorizing the associate veterinarian
with the right of prescription, (5) Adequately enhancing the passing rate of
examination at present, (6) Facilitating and consummated the legislation for
licensed veterinarian, (7) Subsidizing to the veterinarian who worked in countryside
and animal farm through increasing the governmental financial budget, (8) Opening
the market of veterinary service to the world.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
At first, We thank the sponsor of “Hubei Province High Education Reformation
Fund(2011154)” and secondly, we also express our best thanks to the Veterinary
Bureau and the Animal Husbandry Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of the
People’s Republic of China who offered much statistic data for our research.
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