INTEGRATION OF VETERINARY DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES ANNOUNCED

Released on February 9, 1999

Agriculture and Food Minister Eric Upshall today announced the

government is contributing $2 million to start-up Prairie Diagnostic

Services Inc. (PDS) which will provide more effective and efficient

veterinary diagnostic services to livestock producers and

veterinarians.



PDS is a not-for-profit corporation which integrates the diagnostic

services previously provided through the Western College of Veterinary

Medicine and the Provincial Veterinary Laboratory.



"The $2 million will be used to enhance the disease surveillance

program for the province and to improve the diagnostic capabilities of

the laboratories," Upshall said. "New equipment will be purchased and

staff trained in state-of-the-art diagnostic technology. Integration

of the laboratories will result in decreased duplication of services,

freeing up resources to provide new and much needed diagnostic tests."



Upshall said this is another step toward making Saskatchewan a leader

in livestock production and quality-assured food products. "The

future will be expanded livestock production and the ability to meet

requirements for international trade."



Dr. Bill Bulmer, CEO/President of Prairie Diagnostic Services Inc.,

assures veterinarians and livestock producers that they will have

input into the operations of the diagnostic services. The objective

is to develop the most modern technologies to provide rapid, accurate

results with fast turn-around time at low cost to the producers.



"The formation of PDS creates new opportunities," Dr. Bulmer

said. "For example, we are looking at bacteriological

surveillance for the meat processing industry, parentage testing

for the elk and deer industry and partnering with Saskatchewan

Agriculture and Food on animal disease surveillance programs.

Of course we will continue and improve traditional disease

diagnostic activities."



PDS's head office will be in the Western College of Veterinary

Medicine building on the University of Saskatchewan campus in

Saskatoon. The day-to-day laboratory work will continue to be

provided from the existing Western College of Veterinary Medicine

laboratories and the Regina Provincial Veterinary laboratory.



To give industry a larger role in decision making, the new

corporation will be guided by a board of directors: Tim Wiens,

O & T Poultry Farms Ltd. of Regina, and Les Johnston, who

operates a pure bred Simmental herd at Fillmore, represent the

livestock industry. The food processing industry is represented

by Murdith Hutton, director on the Saskatchewan Meat Processors

board. Veterinarian representatives are Dr. Karen Harasen, who,

with her husband, operates the Animal Clinic of Regina; Dr. Mel

Hoffer, who operates a mixed practice in Maple Creek; and Dr. Jim

Sawatsky, who operates a multi-person practice in Humboldt with

satellite offices in Yorkton and Watrous. Other representatives

are Ernie Spencer and Dr. LeeAnn Forsythe, Saskatchewan

Agriculture and Food; Judith Yungwirth and Dr. Alex Livingston,

University of Saskatchewan.

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For more information, contact:



Dr. Bill Bulmer, CEO

Prairie Diagnostic Services

52 Campus Drive

Saskatoon SK S7N 5B4

Telephone (306) 966-7248

Facimile (306) 966-7244

Email bulmer@admin3.usask.ca