21 Feb 2018

 Four veterinarians Dr’s Edwin Dikoloti, Mike Sento,  Batsi Madzwiduma and Lebogang Kebotse on Monday collaborated to give back to residents of Ralekgetho community in the Moshupa/Manyana constituency.

The four veterinarians embarked on a day-long deworming exercise for dogs, goats, sheep and cattle in and around Ralekgetho and covered over 1 000 small stock for free.

Speaking in an interview after the exercise Dr Dikoloti said the purpose of the initiative was to demonstrate the role of veterinarians to farming. He said veterinarians were critical to farming. He said their target was worms and mange which he said were common in the area.

Dr Dikoloti advised farmers to be vigilant and respond to what they saw on the ground rather than following a rigid vaccination schedule which could be misleading at times. He explained that as seasons and weather patterns changed farmers should also anticipate diseases, parasites and act accordingly. He said there was no particular season when a farmer had to vaccinate. Dr Dikoloti also encouraged small stock farmers to prevent foot rot by keeping their animals away from wet kraals during rainy seasons. 

Dr Dikoloti said they would cover places like Mogonye, Kgomokasitwa, Molapowabojang, Digawana, Mmathethe, Metlobo, Gasegwagwa, Lorolwane, Gasita, Maokane and Moshaneng. He said they would do the exercise until March 18.

Dr Dikoloti thanked sponsors who made the exercise possible among them Orthosurge, Shield Vet, Med-swana, BAMB who donated vaccines to the cause and the veterinarians for their time and ‘humble’ service. Dr Dikoloti also thanked Mr Karabo Gare for mobilising farmers for the exercise.

For his part Mr Gare also thanked the veterinarians for serving the nation that has raised them to become what they had become with humility. 

He said “time has come for capable Batswana to ask not what the nation could do for them but what they could do for the nation.”Ends