A one-day National Veterinary Committee (NVMC) meeting was held on the 19th of October 2023 at the National Centre for Animal Health, Serbithang. The NVMC is the highest technical committee for the Department of Livestock (DoL) for backstopping the Essential Veterinary Drug Program (EVDP). NVMC provides technical guidance on the rational use of medicines, vaccines, and quality assessment; advises on minimum standard requirements for clinical service facilities and permissible limits of animal feed pre-mixes and additives; recommends and endorses guidelines like essential veterinary drug lists (EVDL), Veterinary drug formulary (VDF), standard treatment guidelines (STG), antibiotic guidelines, etc.); act as an interim advisory body in lieu of a veterinary statutory body/veterinary council; advise on public-private partnership (PPP) on the sale of a selected list of veterinary medicines in retail pharmacies.
As per the ToR of the NVMC, the meeting has to be conducted at least once a year or as and when required. However, due to the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting could not be carried out as scheduled after the last meeting held in 2020.
The outcomes of the meeting were the appointment of a new Chair (Chief AHD, DoL), Vice-chair (Superintendent, NVH), permanent members, and Co-opt members from the representatives of various relevant agencies for NVM. Further, the meeting also endorsed the revised terms of reference (ToR) for NVMC, revised EVDL & equipment, ToR for functional units involved in the management of the Essential Veterinary Drug Program (EVDP), standard operating procedures (SOPs) for critical process in the management of EVDP developed by the NVMC sub-committee were endorsed. Various important field issues pertaining to EVDP were discussed and resolved.
The meeting was presided by the Director, Department of Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock. A total of 27 representatives from the Department of Livestock; National Centre for Animal Health (NCAH), Serbithang; National Veterinary Hospital, Motithang; Regional Livestock Development Centre (RLDC), Kanglung; Regional Veterinary Hospital & Epidemiology Centre (RVH & EC) – Dewathang, Gelephu and Phuentsholing; National Research Center for Animal Nutrition, Bumthang; National Dairy Research and Development Centre (NDRDC), Yusipang; Dzongkhag Veterinary Hospitals – Bumthang, Tsirang, Paro, Punakha, Trashi Yangtse and Samste; Renewable Natural Resource & Extension Centre (RNR-EC), Sampheling, Chhukha; Regional Poultry Development Centre (RPBC), Paro; and Bhutan Food & Drug Authority (BFDA) from Ministry of Health (MoH) attended the meeting.
The meeting was conducted by the Drug, Vaccine, and Equipment Unit (DVEU), NCAH under the RGoB funding.
Submitted from DVEU, NCAH.
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