The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) states that several clauses in the bill regarding the vaccination and registration of dogs require urgent amendment. The association warns that failure to do so could adversely affect efforts to control rabies.
Elaborating on this matter at a media briefing, GMOA Media Spokesperson Dr. Lasitha Kannangara noted that Clause 4 of the bill stipulates that the rabies vaccine may be administered to dogs only by a veterinarian or under their direct supervision. He stated that the implementation of this clause could cause the collapse of the dog vaccination program currently being conducted by Medical Officer of Health (MOH) offices.
Consequently, the GMOA points out that this could pose a serious threat to the government’s program aimed at reducing the number of rabies-related deaths in the country. The Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government has taken steps to introduce this new Act with the aim of vaccinating dogs, controlling the dog population, regulating commercial dog breeding, and eradicating rabies. The bill mandates the annual rabies vaccination and registration of every dog within administrative boundaries.