HISTORY

Past (2006-2007)

• SA. MAST was established in July 2006.
• From August – November 2006 we designed, implemented and successfully managed a provincial and national awareness and fundraising campaign, which received substantial print and broadcast media coverage, enabling SA. MAST to commence with the monthly funding of a mass sterilisation programme.
• From December 2006 – August 2008, we sterilised over 1500 cats and dogs, mostly in Khayelitsha.
• In November 2007, we purchased South Africa’s first ever mobile Sterilisations Only Clinic, a converted 40ft (12m) shipping container.

Present (2010)

• In June 2008, SA. MAST staff entered into a staff training and skills transfer programme
• In June 2008 we took delivery of our own animal collection and returns vehicle, a Toyota Stallion, donated to us by the Rotary Club of Newlands.
• In June 2008 we entered into a landmark agreement with the Presidential Urban Renewal Programme, City of Cape Town, which has facilitated the following:

• A 975 m² site in Khayelitsha on which to establish Khayelitsha’s first ever permanent and fully operational Mass Sterilisations Only Clinic.
• Assistance in developing and producing educational and awareness material for the Khayelitsha community.
• Financial assistance for the development of the site.
• In July 2008 we released a 20 minute fundraising and awareness documentary on mass sterilisation and S.A MAST.
• It is our dream to ultimately obtain sufficient funding in order to erect and equip a fully operational veterinary clinic on this site. Although there are animal welfare organisations active in Khayelitsha, in an area the geographical size of Kimberley, there is currently not a single veterinary clinic that is fully equipped or has a full time veterinarian doctor on duty.

 

In order to qualify as a veterinary clinic as per the rules and regulations of the South African Veterinary Council, SA.MAST believes the most important and impactful regulation is:


(3) A veterinary professional shall attend to animals accepted into a veterinary facility at least once a day.


 The following conditions, amongst others, also apply:
(Please go to www.savc.co.za to review all the rules and regulations)


General procedural requirements
24. (1) Personnel shall be trained in the basics of aseptic technique.

(2) Personnel responsible for the operation of sophisticated equipment and apparatus shall be adequately trained and available in case of emergencies after hours.

(3) A veterinary professional shall attend to animals accepted into a veterinary facility at least once a day.

(4) The telephone at a number or alternative number that is indicated in an official telephone directory in respect of a veterinary facility shall be answered at all times, and the use of an automatic answering service outside the normal consulting hours shall be permissible for this purpose as long as it states the normal consulting hours of that practice and refers the client to either a telephone number, cell phone number of the veterinary professional on duty or to the address and telephone number of an after hours veterinary facility.

General requirements at veterinary facilities

25. (1) a veterinary facility shall have the necessary facilities in order to ensure that -

(a) a diagnostic service, including imaging diagnosis, can be rendered there or access to such a service is readily available;

(b) an emergency and intensive care service can be rendered there;

(c) a laboratory service for its own requirements can be rendered there, which veterinary facility shall have at its disposal routine equipment including at least a microscope, centrifuge and refractometer, or access to such service;

(d) a pharmacy service for its own requirements can be rendered there, and shall be maintained as well as administered in accordance with relevant legislation; and

(e) post mortem examinations can be done there.

(2) During the consulting hours specified on a notice board the veterinary facility shall be manned by a person registered to practise a veterinary profession.

(3) An animal with a contagious disease shall not be hospitalised at a veterinary facility unless facilities for the isolation thereof exist.

(4) Only routine surgery that is not complicated abdominal, orthopaedic or cardio-vascular surgery may be performed at a consulting room. If such routine surgery is performed at a consulting room, the provisions of rule

31(1)(b) shall be complied with.

Records at veterinary facilities

26.(1) The attending veterinary professional shall maintain records for each animal or group of animals which are legible, accurate and permit prompt retrieval of information.

(2) Records shall, where applicable, contain the following information -

(a) client’s identification;


(b) patient name, other forms of identification, as well as the specie, breed, gender and age;

(c) clinical information;


(d) vaccination record;

(e) special procedures;

(f) diagnosis;

(g) treatment; and

(h) discharge instructions.

Diagnostic imaging

27.(1) Imaging facilities suitable and adequate for the needs of the type of practice or veterinary facility or access thereto shall be provided and be readily available at all times. Operation and maintenance of diagnostic imaging facilities and equipment shall comply with manufacturer stipulations.

(2) Equipment shall be capable of producing images of diagnostic quality appropriate to the range of animals seen in the practice.

(3) Structural requirements for facilities where radiation equipment is installed, as well as safety precautions for the use of this equipment shall comply with the relevant legislation.

(4) An imaging logbook shall be kept listing the identity of animal and owner, numerical number, exposure figures, anatomical position and diagnosis.

(5) A suitable range of cassettes, screens, grids and contrast materials shall be available.

(6) Suitable facilities for the processing, recording, viewing, filing and storage of diagnostic images shall be available.

(7) Each radiograph shall have a permanent identification legibly exposed in the film emulsion and shall include the identity of animal and owner, practice identity, date, and indication of left or right.

(8) The use of self-adhesive labels for the identification of radiographs is not permissible.

(9) In the absence of a special agreement between the radiographer (veterinary professional) and client, a diagnostic image remains the property of the veterinary professional or the veterinary facility, which originally requested it.

(10) The diagnostic image shall be released immediately upon the request of another veterinary professional, provided he/she has been instructed by the owner to make such a request and furthermore that the expenses incurred in producing the diagnostic images are settled.

(11) Such image shall be returned to the original veterinary professional as soon as possible or, alternatively, at a date agreed upon by prior arrangement.

(12) The client/owner of an animal is entitled to a written report.

General requirements for anaesthesia

28.(1) Equipment for anaesthesia and facilities adequate and appropriate for the needs of the relevant practice and veterinary facility shall be provided at all times.

(2) An appropriate range of endotracheal tubes shall be available.

(3) Oxygen shall be available at all times to meet any emergency or other situation.

(4) Proper storage for all explosives shall be provided.

(5) A means to provide artificial ventilation shall be available.

(6) Intravenous fluids, administration sets and drugs for cardiopulmonary resuscitation shall be readily available for use in cases of emergency.

(7) Lock-up facilities shall be available for schedule drugs in accordance with the relevant laws.

(8) Where applicable, equipment for the control of body temperature shall be provided.

(9) Appropriate monitoring equipment shall be available to ensure the safe anaesthesia of all animals.

(10) Anaesthetic equipment shall be adaptable for variation in body weight within the specie range in which it is intended for use.

(11) Active or passive anaesthetic gas scavenging equipment shall be in use.

(12) All animals shall undergo a pre anaesthetic examination.


(13) An anaesthetic logbook shall be kept.

(14) All persons administering anaesthesia must be properly trained in the efficient use of all anaesthetic facilities and equipment.

(15) All anaesthetic equipment shall be properly maintained and serviced at regular intervals.

(16) The monitoring, maintenance and recovery from anaesthesia shall be effected by registered personnel or trained non-registered personnel under supervision of a veterinary professional who must be on the premises. The same person shall not do surgery, monitoring and maintenance of general anaesthesia.

(17) All animals shall be monitored after surgery and not discharged unless adequately recovered from anaesthesia. All animals must be fully conscious and ambulatory before discharging them from a veterinary facility.

(18) Adequately recovered from anaesthesia shall mean -

(a) In canines and felines - until the swallowing reflex of the patient has returned. In addition, in brachycephalic breeds until sternal recumbency can be maintained without assistance.

(b) In equines - until the patient is standing and assistance should be provided during recovery to compensate for physical disabilities.

(c) In ruminants - until sternal recumbency can be maintained without assistance.

(19) Adequate facilities shall be provided for the safe induction and recovery from anaesthesia. In the case of equines, the area to be used during the administration of general anaesthesia and for the recovery from such shall be padded with a material that is impervious and can be easily cleansed and disinfected, and which covers the whole floor area as well as the wall to a height of at least two metres.

(20) The said animal hospital shall be provided with a transportation system to be used in the transportation of animals to and from the area used during induction of general anaesthesia and for the recovery from such, and also the operating room.