Estonian Veterinary Clinics Suffer from Specialist Shortage

Estonia has faced a serious shortage of veterinarians for several years now, with no signs of improvement. The impact is particularly acute at large clinics operating around the clock, which treat complex cases from patients across the country.

Estonia has experienced a shortage of veterinarians for several years, and the situation shows no signs of improvement. Large clinics operating around the clock and treating complex cases from across Estonia are suffering most severely.

The Estonian University of Life Sciences' veterinary clinic is one such institution where staff shortages are particularly painful. The clinic's director, Aleksandr Semjonov, emphasized in a Radio 4 programme "Podrobnosti" that the labour crisis is one of the sector's main problems, directly affecting the quality and accessibility of services offered.

The popularity of the profession among students has failed to compensate for growing demand, as training is time-consuming and many graduates move to other countries or choose less demanding fields of work. Round-the-clock shifts and emotionally challenging work make clinical veterinary medicine less attractive to many specialists.

To address the situation, clinics are seeking solutions both through improving working conditions and engaging foreign specialists. Experts believe that a systemic approach is needed in the longer term — both increasing training capacity and raising the sector's attractiveness.