More veterinary services workforce for rural communities of Bokone Bophirima
In an effort to strengthen the Veterinary Services in the province and to ensure that all threats to animal health and food safety are detected and dealt with as early as possible, the North West Department of Rural Environment and Agricultural Development has placed eleven (11) Veterinarians to begin their one year compulsory community service in the rural parts of the province.
The objectives of Veterinary Compulsory Community Services programme (CCS) is to provide accessible and affordable veterinary services to under-served and poor resourced areas in the country.
The newly deployed veterinarians have been placed in rural state veterinary offices in Kagisano and Taung Local Municipalities (Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati) Mahikeng and Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipalities (Ngaka Modiri Molema) Moses Kotane, Madibeng (Bojanala) as well as in Potchefstroom centers (Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality).
One of those Veterinarians is Dr Mukani Nombela, a newly qualified veterinarian and the only black female in the group.
Dr Nombela who will be completing her community service in the province said that she sees this as an opportunity for her to motivate the community and hopes to inspire black females in the area to follow in her footsteps.
“Bokone Bophirima was one of my options mainly because there is a lot of animal production taking place here so I am looking forward to the experience,” Nombela said.
Throughout her time in the province Dr Nombela said she hopes to increase her skills and knowledge with regards to field work for both production and companion animals.
The CCS veterinarians are expected to make use of the already existing communication channels with the community and establish mobile community veterinary clinics. This does not replace the standing work that is conducted routinely by Provincial Veterinary Services, but is an extension of the services.
To fulfill the requirements of South African Veterinary Council (SAVC), cases that are diagnosed in the field and that may require extensive treatment and hospitalization will be referred back to a stationery registered clinic of the province.
The newly qualified Veterinarians also operate under strict monitoring by the Veterinary Council and are accountable professionally to it. They will acquire a certificate of full completion at the end of their contract with CCS year and only then can operate in places of their own choice. To promote employment equity, the programme envisages a year contract with them and allows these Veterinarians to choose their preferred place of employment afterwards.
