Letter on lack of veterinary surgeons

Dear editor,

As a member of the facebook group ‘Maldivian Cataholics’, which aims to improve the living conditions of cats in Malé, both homeless and privately owned, I am trying to help as much as possible by being the group’s remote veterinary surgeon.

Via e-mail, facebook, telephone and Skype(video) am I trying to diagnose and prescribe and suggest treatments of individual cats presented to me. All this from my home in Denmark, as I am told,that there is no resident veterinary surgeon available in the Republic of Maldives, and therefore no alternative to my services.

This situation is not optimal and sometimes very frustrating for the cat owner as well as the person, who is trying to help a homeless cat and also for me.