New equipment boost for veterinary care

By Hyunsook Siutaia 18 September 2020, 10:20AM

The Animal Protection Society (A.P.S.) will receive vital equipment to improve its work providing veterinary care to animals across the country. 

The new equipment comes from funding from the New Zealand High Commission.

Among the devices to be received by the Society include a hand-held Pulse Oximeter; an Oxygen Concentrator and two Fluid Infusion Pumps. 

The handover of the new equipment was announced in a media release issued on Thursday.

Dr. Joan Macfarlane, the chairwoman of the A.P.S., said that the new equipment will improve the services provided by the Society:

“The equipment will help [the] A.P.S. to meet higher standards of clinical work and deliver safer and more effective surgical and medical veterinary care.  

“Pet and animal owners in Samoa will benefit from the improved services we are able to provide.”

New Zealand's High Commissioner to Samoa, Dr. Trevor Matheson, said New Zealand was pleased to assist A.P.S. in its important work across the nation. 

“The A.P.S. is actively committed to delivering the best veterinary care and outcomes for all animals; a commitment that has flow-on benefits for the health, harmony and safety of not just an animal or pet’s owner or family, but for the general public, too,” Dr. Matheson said.

Dr. Matheson will tour the A.P.S.' headquarters at Vailima on Friday morning. 

A.P.S.’ Lead Veterinarian, Dr Harriet Thornton, also said the additional equipment would greatly boost the services that the Society can deliver. 

“As well as improving clinical service and patient safety overall, A.P.S. now has the capacity to carry out a wider range of more complex procedures,” said Dr Thornton.  

“Our inpatient care is improved by being able to more accurately deliver fluids and medications and we can monitor the vitals of our more critical patients closely.” 

At last count, A.P.S.cared for a total of more than 2000 animals. 

An estimated 12,500 people will benefit from the imrpoved standards of care made possible by the new equipment, according to estimates provided by the A.P.S. 

The Pulse Oximeter is handheld and allows for the mobile monitoring of animals’ heart rates and blood concentration, improving the safety of procedures involving anaesthetic. 

The Oxygen Concentrator provides a steady supply of oxygen to animals during surgery and can be used to treat animals with respiratory problems. 

Fluid infusion pumps automatically and quickly deliver doses of intravenous fluids to animals. They remove the need for staff to measure fluid infusion rates and can therefore provide safe infusions that were not possible under manual processes. 



By Hyunsook Siutaia 18 September 2020, 10:20AM

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