Veterinary Council in reinforced bid to crack down on unqualified vets who threaten animal health

Elias Hakizimana Nov 12, 2019Nov 13, 2019 0 Comments

By Elias Hakizimana.

By early this week, Nyagatare based farmer Sheihk Uwase Abdul Aziz lost 121 goats and sheep due to the mistake made by unauthorized so-called veterinary Doctor.

Kayinamura who caused this incident was not a professional veterinary Doctor according to Rwanda Council of Veterinary Doctors (RCVD). It was proven that he misused drugs when he was mixing the vaccine to inject into the goats and sheep and they all died in a while after fake injection.

The incident left a lesson to RCVD to employ further strategies of handling animal health, through making sure that this profession is done by licensed professionals by the council.

Dr Charles Nkuranga, Chairperson of RCVD at Regional Council Board, Disciplinary Committee Chairperson and Lecturer at University said that once some drugs are not well mixed and injected into animal body consequences including death can happen.

“when some drugs are overdosed while injecting the vaccine into animal body, animal can immediately die. Kayinamura is not our professional since he is not licensed.” He said.

Only in three hours, over 100 goats and sheep that were injected died before 9:00 am while Kayinamura started to inject them at 6:30 in the morning. This man dropped out at Gakoni high school where he was studying at Gakoni veterinary school.

Dr Nkuranga said that a professional veterinary doctor should register and get an annual renewable license.

“Even a registered veterinary doctor who treat animal disease is not allowed to do animal pharmacy in order to avoid conflicts of interest.” He said.

Nkuranga said that many Veterinary doctors are hidden and do not want to register in the council.

Dr Alphonse Nshimiyimana, Executive Secretary of RCVD said that over 30 vet doctors from universities and over 400 from secondary schools graduate every year but are not near farmers.

“We are going to make sure that farmers have veterinary doctors near them, because currently they cannot even distinguish who is fake of true veterinary doctor. We started preparing this initiative and we will officially launch it by next week,” Dr Nshimiyimana said.

“We are changing working frameworks by sensitizing vet doctors about the real professionalism, we are also looking for partnership with the local government to help us foster security and discipline among the veterinary doctors on the field. We need that many of vet doctors register in the council following the law.” Said Dr Nkuranga.

Only this year 2019, 2 cases of forging certificates and 4 cases of veterinary doctors who made false treatment of animals were registered by the council.

The article 46 and 47 of the law establishing RCVD state punishment for the so-called professionals. Over 30 new Vet doctors have recently graduated and made an Oath that aims at working professionally.