Constraints Faced by the Private Veterinary Practitioners (PVPs) of Kerala

Abstract

A study was designed to explore the constraints faced by Private Veterinary Practitioners (PVPs)of Kerala. These practitioners primarily focus on treating pets, domestic animals and wildlife as their main profession and do not receive any kind of salary from any type of government organisations.The data was collected using a pre-tested semi-structured interview schedule by the researcher. Kerala was divided into three regions, namely North, Central and South,to capture regional variations in constraints. For this study, four private practicing veterinarians were randomly selected from each district in Kerala. The constraints were categorised into five main domains: job-related, economic-related, social-related, client-related and technological-related. To rank the severity of each constraint, respondents were asked to place the statements under each domain on a four-point continuum. The results were analysed based on the mean score obtained. Among the various domains, the client-related constraints were identified as the most severe one throughout Kerala. Within this domain, the top-ranked constraint was the owners inability to provide accurate animal history. Following this, the constraints were perceived in the order of technological-related, job-related, economic-related and social-related constraints. This study sheds light on the constraints faced by private veterinary practitioners in Kerala, highlighting the prominent constraints in different domains. The findings offer valuable insights into areas that may require attention and improvement to enhance the overall veterinary services provided by private practitioners in the State