Vet health centre draws public attention

Around 3000 members of the local community have taken a behind-the-scenes look at the University of Adelaide's new $28 million Veterinary Health Centre at the Roseworthy Campus.

Roseworthy, which is home to the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, held a Community Open Day last month ahead of the official opening of the new Veterinary Health Centre.

It was the public's first chance to see inside the new facility, which includes a Companion Animal Health Centre for the treatment of dogs, cats and other domestic pets. That centre has just opened to the general public on 1 November.

"I was very pleased to see so many people coming to see our new Companion Animal Health Centre, which was a major drawcard for the public during the Open Day," said Professor Gail Anderson, Head of the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences.

"Many people who attended the day were thinking of using our services and they were curious to see the quality of our facilities. Feedback from them has been overwhelmingly positive - we were taking bookings almost straight away."

The Companion Animal Health Centre offers a wide range of services, including areas of specialisation such as intensive care, ultrasound, radiology, separate isolation wards and two fully equipped surgical theatres.

The Community Open Day also gave members of the public a chance to see the Vet School's state-of-the-art teaching, diagnostic pathology and research facilities.

"Thousands of those who visited us took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Vet Health Centre, conducted by our own staff and students," Professor Anderson said.

"Our live surgery proved to be one of the biggest attractions. While many stood to watch the surgery being performed, it was also broadcast live into our seminar rooms so that visitors could watch on large screens, instead of looking directly into the surgical theatre. This technology will be an important part of our teaching, so it was great to be able to share that with the local community."

The official launch of the Veterinary Health Centre will be held in early November.

For more information about the centre, go to: www.adelaide.edu.au/vhc

Story by David Ellis