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The following is issued on behalf of the Veterinary Surgeons Board of Hong Kong:
The Veterinary Surgeons Board of Hong Kong today (January 4) reminded the public that according to section 16 of the Veterinary Surgeons Registration Ordinance (Cap 529), no person shall practise veterinary surgery or provide a veterinary service in Hong Kong unless he is a registered veterinary surgeon in Hong Kong and a holder of a practicing certificate which is currently in force; or the board has issued him a permit to do so.
According to section 25 of the ordinance, anyone who contravenes section 16 commits an offence and is liable to a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for one year.
According to Section 2 of the ordinance, "veterinary service" means doing or performing any act or attending to any matter the doing or performing of which or the attending to which forms part of the generally accepted practice of veterinary surgery. "Veterinary surgery" means the art and science of veterinary surgery and medicine and includes:
(a) the diagnosis of disease in, and injuries to, animals including tests performed for diagnostic purposes;
(b) the giving of advice based on such diagnosis;
(c) the medical or surgical treatment of animals including the performance of surgical operations.
The board urged the public to report any suspected illegal practice of veterinary surgery or illegal provision of veterinary service to the police for investigation.
To confirm whether a person is a registered veterinary surgeon, please contact the secretariat of the board at 2150 6696 or refer to the list of registered veterinary surgeons at the board's website at www.afcd.gov.hk/about/about_e.htm.
Ends/Wednesday, January 4, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:56
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