Impactful and Impacted: California Livestock Veterinarian Gives and Gains During His Assignment in Guyana, South America

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Dr. Scott Haskell, Director of the Veterinary Technology Program at Yuba College in Marysville, California, recently traveled to Guyana, South America, where he provided training in topics related to herd health management and biosecurity.  Dr. Haskell was tasked with leading continuing education sessions for members of the Guyana Veterinary Association (GVA), the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), and the Public Health Section of the Ministry of Health, focusing on the following subjects, among others:

• Cattle and Ruminant Production & Clinical Examination
• Proper Use of Antibiotics in Veterinary Medicine
• Livestock Disease Control & Reporting
• Epidemiologic Surveillance and Disease Outbreak Investigation
• Global Climate Change & its Potential Impact on Disease Transmission
• Career & Training Opportunities Within the Veterinary Profession

Dr. Scott Haskell heads up Guyana's Berbice River
In addition to classroom-style trainings, Dr. Haskell's two-week stay in the "Land of Many Waters" included meetings with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Guyana Veterinary Surveillance; Diagnostic Lab Annex and Sample Processing Center, and the United Nations Development Program, as well as field visits to four dairy, beef and small ruminant farms. Over the course of his visit, Dr. Haskell provided training to 92 individuals.

Though Dr. Haskell had a clear impact on the professionals with whom he met, he also left the country impacted himself. "I feel that I learned more from my hosts than they from me", he recalls. "Yes, I was able to evaluate the veterinary issues of Guyana, but more importantly the people touched my soul in ways that I can never repay."

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