1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: That's say that they're facing emotional blackmail from customers who 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: don't want to pay their bills. They are complaining of 3 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: a riz and nasty behavior. Kevin Bryant is chief executive 4 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 1: of the New Zealand Veterinary Association and. 5 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 2: With us Hi Kevin, yeah, hi here, how are you good? 6 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 2: Thank you? 7 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: What kind of emotional abuse are you guys going through? 8 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 2: Well, it's really a case of, you know, we've got 9 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:24,959 Speaker 2: a situation in the country where everyone's struggling a little 10 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 2: bit with hard times, and what our vet clinics are 11 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 2: seen sometimes all too frequently is situations where clients are 12 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 2: coming in with an animal needing treatment and when it 13 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 2: comes to sorting out the bill, they're hit with the well, 14 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 2: we can't afford to pay that, and you shouldn't be 15 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 2: charging us. You're too expensive, and you know, you should 16 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 2: just look after our animals for free. 17 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: Do you think it's an expectation that because if you 18 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: take yourself to edy, your treatment is free, Therefore if 19 00:00:57,440 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: you take your beloved animal it should be free too. 20 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 2: Well. I think there's a huge amount of confusion in 21 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 2: the public arena between the fact that we have a 22 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:11,960 Speaker 2: heavily subsidized human health system and a totally unsubsidized animal 23 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 2: health system, and I think that's definitely part of it. 24 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:18,680 Speaker 2: And people, I think drawing comparisons between the two. 25 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: Are people surprised at how much it costs to get 26 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: an animal seen to Yes, is the short answer. 27 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 2: And I guess if they had the real information in 28 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:34,320 Speaker 2: front of them about what similar treatments might cost them 29 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 2: in the human field, if it wasn't subsidized, they probably 30 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 2: would think it's a really good deal. 31 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:43,400 Speaker 1: Now this is only going to get more expensive, isn't 32 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 1: it because there is a huge number of vets who 33 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: are going to drop out of it. 34 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 2: Well, we've got a shortage of veterinarians and vet nurses. 35 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 2: We've always had a shortage, but that hasn't gone away. 36 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 2: And we also have an aging workforce, so there is 37 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 2: Whilst we've got an increase in the number of people 38 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 2: who have been trained in MASSY, which is great, we 39 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 2: are also seeing people exiting the exiting the industry for 40 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 2: a lot of retiring and unfortunately some are leaving because 41 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 2: of the stress caused by some of these interactions with 42 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:26,080 Speaker 2: the public and they leave clinical practice. Some more often 43 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 2: than not, tune up working for somewhere else in the 44 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:34,239 Speaker 2: industry supporting the veterinarians, but not in clinical practice. 45 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: Okay, Kevin, listen, thanks very much for talking us through. 46 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: That's Kevin Bryant, chief executive of the New Zealand Veterinary Association. 47 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 2: For more from Heather Duplessy Alan Drive, listen live to 48 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:44,640 Speaker 2: news talks. 49 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast 50 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.