The origins of Veterinary Services in Ghana trace back to the British colonial administration in the early 20th century. The first qualified veterinarian to arrive in the country, Mr. W. P. B. Beal, landed in Accra by boat in May 1909. After an interview with Governor Sir John Rodger, he was assigned to conduct a veterinary survey of the Gold Coast Colony, Ashanti, and the Northern Territories Protectorate. His headquarters were established in Accra, and he was placed under the Medical Department, reporting to the Principal Medical Officer.
Beal’s arrival was met with immediate demand for veterinary services. Recalling his early days, he noted, “The arrival of a Veterinary Officer was soon noised abroad, and on my third morning, I woke up to find a sick parade of a number of horses outside my bungalow.” To manage the overwhelming demand, Beal sought technical assistance, and the Colonial Secretary assigned him Mr. J. B. Quansah, a medical dispenser. The two worked together for 21 years, laying the foundation for the Veterinary Department, the first of its kind in British West Africa.
Recognizing the critical need for animal disease control, the British colonial government introduced early veterinary measures, including quarantine stations, disease control laws, and veterinary laboratories, forming the basis of modern veterinary practice in Ghana.
Establishment and Growth of the Veterinary Department
In 1910, after returning from leave, Beal was informed by Sir Hugh Clifford of the formal establishment of the Veterinary Department. His duties were primarily technical and medical, and by this time, the headquarters had moved to Kumasi for its central location. That same year, Mr. Agbenor became the first trained veterinary dispenser in Ghana.
Between 1914 and 1920, the Principal Medical Officer managed the Veterinary Department with the assistance of dispensers when Beal left to serve in World War I. His first wartime assignment involved training military armorer sergeants in cold shoeing of military horses and conducting meat inspections. In November 1920, Beal returned as Captain Beal and re-established the Veterinary Department as an independent entity, with Tamale as its new headquarters.
By 1921, six additional staff members arrived to support Beal: four veterinary officers (Moody, Roemele, Rippon, and Grealy) and two livestock inspectors (Miller and Westbrook). Later that year, one of the inspectors passed away and was buried in Wa. The department expanded further with the recruitment of nine dispensers and 30 cattle guards. By the end of 1921, the Veterinary Department had a total staff strength of 47 and became a fully-fledged independent institution. Four more veterinary officers were recruited in 1923, and the department was structured into two main sections: Animal Health and Animal Husbandry.
Veterinary Training and Development
In September 1921, the colonial government approved the establishment of a small veterinary school to train dispensers. In 1922, Mr. Gurbak Singh, an Indian veterinary graduate, arrived to commence training at Tamale. The school initially admitted candidates with an Elementary School Leaving Certificate. In the early 1930s, the school was relocated to Pong Tamale.
By 1940, the Veterinary Services Department raised its admission requirement to the Cambridge School Certificate, and candidates were sent to the Veterinary Training Centre (VTC) in Vom, Nigeria, for training. In 1960, the Pong Tamale school was re-established with the same entry requirements as Vom.
Expansion and Institutionalization of Veterinary Services
Captain Beal originally established the Veterinary Services Department (VSD) with its headquarters in Kumasi. In 1922, the head office was moved to Tamale, where it remained until Beal’s retirement in 1929. His successor, Mr. Stewart, relocated the head office to Pong Tamale. Upon his retirement in 1949, the head office was briefly moved to Accra in June 1950 before returning to Pong Tamale. In 1964, the head office was permanently moved back to Accra, where it has remained since.
Between 1922 and 1950, Veterinary Services were primarily concentrated in the three northern regions and Accra. In 1963, Mr. Agyen Frimpong, Animal Health Officer became the first Ghanaian to head the VSD. A year later, he expanded the department’s presence to all regions, establishing offices and residential accommodations for senior and junior staff, even at the district level.
Dr. Richter of Osu, the first Ghanaian to qualify as a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1940, played a significant role in training veterinary assistants at Pong Tamale.
Research and Vaccine Production
In 1930, construction began on a serum and research laboratory at Pong Tamale, funded by a Colonial Development Fund grant of 20,000 Euros. The facility was completed in 1931 with the objective of producing vaccines for the control of rinderpest and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP).
Following Ghana’s independence in 1957, the government institutionalized veterinary services under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) by establishing the Veterinary Services Department (VSD). This move aimed to expand and modernize veterinary care across the country, building on the foundation laid during the colonial era. Over the decades, the department has played a pivotal role in animal disease control, research, and veterinary training, ensuring the continued development of Ghana’s livestock sector and public health systems.