According to Mr Gerhard Joubert, Executive: Group Marketing and Stakeholder Relations at PPS, the donation not only benefits the animals that come to the OVAH for treatment, but will also assist veterinary students in remaining in line with global veterinarian trends by enabling them to work with world-class therapeutic methods. “It is vital that our local professionals have the opportunities that global tertiary institutions are offering, so we are extremely pleased that we could assist the OVAH with this donation.”

Dr Henry Annandale, Director of Clinical Services at the OVAH, says the main aim of the unit is to treat patients recovering from injuries or illness by means of hydrotherapy, physical exercises and other methods such as electro-stimulation. “Physical rehabilitation helps patients to recover in a shorter period of time than they might otherwise, and also helps to maintain function and mobility in older animals for as long as possible, thereby improving their quality of life.”

According to Sr Theresa Frias, who is running the OARS,the new underwater treadmill is a state-of-the-art piece of equipment that provides learning opportunities for veterinary students and veterinary nurses as they now can become directly involved in handling and treating patients and experience the positive outcomes of physical therapy.

Sr Frias says that before the donation, the only hydrotherapy equipment available was the swimming pool. “Acquiring the underwater treadmill has placed us on a par with well-known universities and training facilities abroad, as we are now able to offer the best treatment and education currently available in animal rehabilitation.”

“We hope that this donation assists in promoting the veterinary profession among young South Africans, as they realise the local profession is making huge strides to remain at the forefront of veterinary practices,” concludes Joubert.

 Pics below: Etienne Creux (Pretoria News)

For more information on the OARS and the new underwater treadmill please contact Sr Theresa Frias at (012) 529 8550

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PPS boasts in excess of 200,000 members who enjoy access to a comprehensive suite of financial and healthcare products that are specifically tailored to meet the needs of graduate professionals.

PPS is the largest South African company of its kind that still embraces an ethos of mutuality, which means that it exists solely for the benefit of its members. Thus, members who are policyholders can exclusively share in the profits of PPS Insurance and those who have PPS Investments products can also share in the profits of PPS Investments.