Accounts/ Rekeninge

If you wish to have an account assessed by Council, merely submit the detailed account to Council with a letter requesting that Council determine the amount which, in the opinion of Council, should have been charged in respect of the service to which the account relates.

HOW FEES ARE CALCULATED IN THE GUIDELINE OF TARIFFS OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN  VETERINARY COUNCIL

The Veterinary Professions gives input on an individual basis and through the various bodies that represent the profession on fees currently being charged.  These inputs are then considered by the Committee on Fees of the SAVC before the annual SAVC Guideline of Tariffs is published.

In the introduction to the Guideline there are very important concepts that the SAVC uses in deciding whether a fee is fair to all parties or not.

All fees are ranged based to cover most practices involved in a service to the public.  Veterinarians are required to have registered facilities that have to comply with minimum requirements and the services rendered by veterinarians from these facilities include services that are usually performed in human hospitals/ clinics and not in the consulting rooms of medical doctors. There are no state hospitals for animals.  Emergencies and stray animals are stabilised or treated by private practitioners before being referred to Animal Welfare Organisations. The costs of these animal welfare interventions are usually done Pro Deo by the Practitioner concerned.

It must be stressed that in a country with an economically diverse demographic position as seen in South Africa there will be a wide discrepancy of fees depending on the situation of the Veterinarian and the client.

South Africa is blessed with a wide range of Animal Welfare Organisations which go a long way in alleviating suffering amongst animals owned by people who cannot pay Veterinary Fees usually charged.  Fees charged by Animal Welfare Organisations are heavily subsidised and cannot be compared to the actual cost of services rendered by a Veterinarian who is running a viable practice.  The public are earnestly requested not to abuse the system by utilising Animal Welfare resources when they should be using the normal channels of Veterinary services.

The SAVC is committed to seeing that standards offered to the public in South Africa are comparable with those anywhere else in the world.  We do recognise that to reach these standards the high cost of maintaining world class and facilities means that the fees charged will be commensurate with the facilities offered.  We also realise that not everyone can afford this standard of Veterinary Care and take this into account when deciding on fees.

We strongly advise all clients to ensure that they are given estimates of costs especially where advanced procedures are to be carried out on their animals.  We also advise owners to ask for cost updates where animals are hospitalised or have long drawn out therapy.  To obviate confusion these estimates should be given in writing prior to treatment taking place.  

Various pet insurance schemes are available to the animal owners, which can assist animal owners in meeting the health expenses of their animals.

Dr John Adam, Chairperson of the Committee on Fees, 2008