If there is one reason and one reason alone to venture all the way to Mina Abdulla, it would be to visit the International Veterinary Hospital or IVH as it is known. When the hospital was first set up in 2003 it was absolutely in the middle of the desert. The roads and infrastructure has grown significantly only over the last few years.
The choice of location is indicative of everything that this hospital does; focus on the animal. It wouldn’t be possible to get such a large space anywhere else where the funding would go to treating animals and not to real estate. And this is why IVH is so beloved. Their goal is purely the welfare of the animals they treat.
The specialism at the moment is cats and dogs, and about 65% of the animals treated are of the feline variety, dogs being a little less popular and not as easy to keep as a little cat. Even at reception they have already thought empathetically of the animals. How stressful it must be to be coming to the vet, that instinct the animals have when they know they’re going to the vet for a check-up, inoculations, to treat sickness or an emergency.
Thoughtfully there are two receptions. One for both cats and dogs which can be a lively room at times, or owners can choose the side access where cats have their very own reception area so they don’t have to cope with over-inquisitive dogs.
What is noticeably different about the staff here, you can feel as you walk in the door. Guided by Services Manager Mari Centeno, an energetic American/Venezuelan, the reception staff, genuinely have an interest in these furry family members and this puts you at ease when placing your pet in their care.
Mari has a rescue dog herself, and he stays in the kennels while she works all day, but she pops across to see him when she can. He’s very loudly super protective of Mari when in kennels, but turns into a submissive little sweetheart putting out his paw to be held once he’s outside. His bark is definitely worse than his potential bite, as this pup bounds around with all the joys of life and not a care in the world, when he’s with Mari.
The inspiration for IVH actually came from a dog; a St.Bernard who belonged to the family who founded the hospital as a side project, and not considered a primary form of income. Plainly put, the founding family is not doing IVH for the money but for the desire to deliver a service they couldn’t get for their beloved pet. While the original dog is no longer with us, if you go into the staff room there is a wall dedicated to all the St. Bernards that the family has enjoyed over the years. There is also a wall dedicated to the doctors and staff of the hospital, past and present.
While IVH may be a ‘hobby’ don’t let that light terminology fool you. It is one of the most well-invested animal hospitals here in Kuwait. They aspire to have the best and latest equipment of course, and the land hosts a kennel and a cattery, two reception areas, consultation rooms, surgeries, a pharmacy, grooming area, canteen, pet shop and a studio.
But, the real investment is made in the people, and not just in the doctors whom the owners have head-hunted from around the globe. It’s often you’ll hear businesses say, “we’re like a family” but the way in which the staff members interact with each other here, you do sense a closeness. There are quite a few married or long-term partner couples on staff, and while unusual in business practice, this isn’t discouraged by the owners, who feel it helps to keep everyone committed to the experience of being here. Each one of the staff is seen as a person, with their individual skills and talents appreciated. Where else could a grounds man become one of the most well-respected nursing assistants in IVH, given training and being trusted to handle people’s beloved pets.
IVH has grown from a team of 4 in 2003, to a team of 65, and that’s one large family to keep happy and to feel at home, but they do it. They also try to look back each year on what they’ve done well and how can they do better, so there is a culture of ongoing quality enhancement that everyone feels the benefit of; animals, pet owners and staff.
When asked, dog lover Dr Gustavo Mercades jokes that it’s the doctors that make IVH so special. But he’s not really wrong. Full transparency, IVH saved one of my two Kuwaiti street cat’s lives and I’ll be forever in their debt, so I can’t begin to praise enough the surgical skill and particularly the closely monitored aftercare in IVH.
While the doctors may come and go, the quality of care and skill that is consistently displayed is second to none, especially as the culture of IVH is continuous professional development. No one sits on their laurels in this environment. bazaar got the opportunity to observe a consultation with Dr Gustavo and a pink-eyed pooch. By the end of it the silky-haired spaniel was visibly happier, as was its previously worried ‘humom’. Job well done.
If ever there were a pocket rocket of determined energy and opinion it’s Dr Eliane Gamonal who may be diminutive, but what she lacks in stature she makes up for in passion. An unapologetic cat-lady, she literally sits in the cages with the post-surgery cats and the kitties all stand up or try to, no matter how ill, and strain to see Dr Eliane when she walks into the recovery room. If this isn’t evidence enough that these felines receive the best care, I don’t know what is. Pussycat approved!
On a side note the owners joke that she so innately knows what is right that she will fight for it, and has even got everyone a pay rise! An advocate for all those around her, not just the animals. No wonder she fits in so well to the culture of IVH; she is the embodiment of the vision, mission and values held here, where every day they prove that “Your pet’s health, happiness, and your peace of mind are our top priority.”
For more information on the services offered by the veterinary clinic IVH located in Mina Abdullah, exit 306, visit ivhq8.com. For enquiries email info@ivhq8.com or call 9095 0101 or WhatsApp 9095 0202, or 9095 0303. Photography by Johnny Costa, Instagram @jcpq8.
