Members of People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals(PETA) protested on the edge of the Medical University of South Carolina(MUSC) campus Friday afternoon, holding signs that read “MUSC: Stop Killing Pigs” and “Use Simulators, Not Suffering.”
PETA officials say a training course at the school involves cutting holes into the throats and chests of pigs, stabbing a needle into tissue surrounding their hearts, and then killing the animals. They say that continues even though the very same skills are already taught using a sophisticated human-patient simulator used in another course at MUSC.
PETA Research Associate Ian Smith says animal use has almost disappeared in medical schools across the U.S.
MUSC Public Information Coordinator Megan Fink says the Medical University of South Carolina supports the judicious use of animals in research and education, and insists on humane and ethical treatment of any animals studied.
AUDIO: Fink on use of pigs (:29)
PETA officials say research has shown that the simulator, which is endorsed by the American College of Surgeons, better prepare trainees to treat human patients than do animal-based exercises. Fink disagrees.
Fink says MUSIC has a responsibility to provide the best training opportunities for health care professionals who will serve society. She says the training in question is used to teach life-saving techniques used by flight nurses who assist those involved in highway car crashes. Fink asserts that use of animals in medicine and research is still common and there for a reason.
AUDIO: Fink on the use of animals (:52)
The protest follows a complaint that PETA filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture against MUSC. PETA says as a result of the complaint, MUSC was cited in April 2010 for multiple violations of the Animal Welfare Act for approving the use of more than 1,500 animals in experiments without having legally required information, such as how and why the experimenters would be using the animals. MUSC says that it has not violated animal welfare laws, that its approved research protocol for the training has been reviewed annually by the USDA, and that MUSC is not guilty of any violations involving animal welfare. Fink says in addition to the USDA, all research and training protocols are reviewed annually by an independent Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee that includes community members.
Fink says in the most recent review by the USDA, they only requested a clarification of the procedures involved, but then requested more details, concerning the number of animals and species used for each training course. Fink says the training courses conducted during the last year involved the use of 59 farm pigs that were euthanized under general anesthesia. No other species of animal were used for these training courses. Fink says MUSC has been continuously accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care since 1987.
