NGO calls on govt. to send vet assistants to Luwingu

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Self Help Africa (SHA) District Coordinator Edward Meleki has expressed concern on the way small livestock animals are dying in Luwingu district in the Northern province because the district has only one qualified veterinary assistant.

Mr Meleki said because of the inadequate qualified veterinary assistants, the communities were finding it impossible to handle animal health related diseases in the area.

Mr Meleki told the district management committee meeting that his organization gave out 160 goats last month out of which 52 of them died of other health related diseases and poor adaptation to the new environment.

“The other challenge is that the district has only one veterinary assistant who is stationed at chief Tungati agricultural camp and this makes his movement in the district difficult and  worsened when he goes for his residential school,” he added.

Mr Meleki said the community in the district have been facing challenges to treat their chickens, goats and pets like dogs because people cannot administer or treat animals due to lack of technical knowhow.

He said SHA also gave out 409 chickens which are facing similar problems in terms of providing treatment to chicken adding that the department of community development recently gave out chickens and goats and is also likely to meet the same challenges.

“We as SHA we cannot administer medicine to the animals we are currently distributing because we are not trained to do that and if we administer medicine and animals die we will be taken to court,” he said.

Mr Meleki appealed to the ministry of agriculture and livestock to employ veterinary assistants to cater for the growing demand of veterinary services in Luwingu district.

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