?The National Veterinary Emergency Service has been launched to ensure access to emergency veterinary care in Malta and Gozo outside normal working hours.
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights Anton Refalo, together with the Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Rights Alicia Bugeja Said, also announced three new initiatives as part of this service.
The first initiative is a free national helpline for veterinary emergencies, which can be reached via the freephone 153 Ext. 22, operated by Servizz.gov. This serves as the first point of contact, where initial triage is carried out and professional advice is given, or where necessary owners are directed to an appropriate veterinary service.
The second initiative is a State-funded emergency veterinary care support programme, which provides emergency consultations for smaller pets in genuine emergency cases outside of working hours. The public will be reimbursed for this same consultation.
A call for interest will be published by the Ministry so that private veterinary clinics, both in Malta and Gozo, can express their interest in joining and providing their services according to the established criteria.
The third initiative is the opening of an out-of-hours veterinary emergency clinic, located in Fgura and which will operate daily. Opening hours are from 8:00pm to 8:00am from Monday to Sunday and all day on Sundays and public holidays. The public is encouraged to call the helpline before attending in order to ensure a more efficient service. The veterinary emergency clinic is located at 7, Reggie Miller Gardens, Fgura.
Minister Anton Refalo said “with these three initiatives, we are building a national system that ensures that veterinary assistance is available when it is needed most, while working hand in hand with the private sector. This is an investment in animal welfare and peace of mind for their owners.”
Photo: DOI/ Daniel Scicluna