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Vacancies aplenty, but public sector vets expect more frills and private sector salaries
View(s):By Kasun Warakapitiya
Veterinary services of several state bodies have been badly affected, and vacancies remain unfilled because new graduates are not drawn to jobs.
The Department of Animal Production and Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health, the Department of Wildlife Conservation, and the National Zoological Gardens, as well as municipal councils, all face a shortage of veterinarians.
The rural livestock sector is heavily impacted.
There are 300 vacancies in the state sector, and only 15 of 36 applicants from among 72 veterinarians who graduated last year were recruited.
The State Veterinary Surgeons Association (SVSA) said comparatively low salary and a complicated salary scale deter veterinary surgeons from the state service.
SVSA General Secretary, Dr Sirimewan Gunawardena, told the Sunday Times that private practitioners earn three times more than those in the state sector.
“The newly passed-out veterinary surgeons’ attitude towards state service needs to improve to get them absorbed into state service. An attractive salary should be provided along with the opportunity for professional development as specialists, and measures should be taken to make arduous service desirable,” he said.
Wildlife veterinarians complain that proper lodging and workstations, as well as vehicles, are needed.
Dr Gunawardena said that as veterinary surgeons serve round-the-clock, they should be incorporated into SL-2 service. The salary scale is the same as for medical, dental and Ayurveda medical officers. Instead, veterinary officers remain in the SL 1 salary scale and are restricted from additional allowances for overtime, additional duty or disturbance availability, and transport allowance.
The SVSA said veterinary surgeons and livestock officers are recruited under the same service minute despite separate duties. So they asked that the service categories be separated and that they be established under the SL-2 salary scale.
This was submitted to the Cabinet in 2025, and a committee was appointed to undertake a feasibility study, yet the report has been delayed, they claim.
The Sri Lanka Veterinary Association (SLVA) said the shortage of veterinary surgeons affected the treatment of livestock animals, provincial veterinary health services, and wildlife and zoological gardens.
SLVA Secretary Dr Uditha Wijesinghe said the shortage of veterinary surgeons in the wildlife sector also affected the wellbeing of animals.
Veterinary surgeons of state institutes said the government had failed to attract professionals to departments and institutes because of the salary gap with the private sector and also not giving risk/endangerment allowances and other facilities.
The DWC veterinary officers said the salary inadequacy is the main reason for the lack of interest among new graduates.
They explained that although the government expects a heavy workload and they risk their lives to treat animals in the wilderness, benefits are also few.
Wildlife veterinarians complain that proper lodging and workstations, as well as vehicles, are needed, yet in most instances they are given substandard facilities or forced to work in given conditions.
DWC veterinarians said they are unable to take leave, as they are held back to cover up duties, or due to the lack of veterinarians to cover their work.
Sources from the Zoological Department said their situation is similar to those of the wildlife department.
They said they, too, are underpaid compared to private practice veterinarians and pointed out that when a new recruit is paid Rs 100,000 at a state zoo, a private animal hospital pays more than Rs 200,000.
According to the sources, the zoo veterinary surgeons do not get overtime or night allowances.
They said that zoo veterinarians also need improved quarters and vehicles, as well as research labs.
The Director General of the National Zoological Gardens, Dr Chandana Rajapaksa, explained that if attractive allowances are provided for the state veterinary service, the zoos would also draw more recruits.
He recognised the need to improve infrastructure and facilities such as quarters as well as transport for veterinarians.
DWC Director General Ranjan Marasinghe was unavailable for comment.
The Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, D.P. Wickremesinghe, told the Sunday Times that there are practical difficulties in meeting the demands of the veterinary association. He said the government does not have the capability to increase salaries to the level of the private sector, as the state is providing a service to people. “Farmers in rural areas depend on state services, while wild animals survive due to the treatment provided by veterinary surgeons. Therefore, they must provide their services regardless of the conditions.’’
Mr Wickremesinghe said that state veterinarians enjoy perks such as pensions, widow and orphan pensions and vehicles, yet he suggested that wildlife and zoo departments should provide risk allowance for the veterinarians that are recruited.
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