Somalia’s first home-grown veterinary doctors in more than 30 years officially graduated in Mogadishu on 25 June. Twenty-three men and seven women successfully completed their four year studies at Horseed University’s faculty of Livestock Training and Surgery Institute.
“This is the first time since the civil war in 1990 that veterinary doctors have graduated from a medical school in the country,” said Dr Mohamed Hasan Bubi, the deputy director of the faculty. Bubi said the new crop of veterinary graduates would help to improve standards in the livestock sector, which contributes Somalia’s biggest export earnings to the economy.
There has been an acute shortage of skilled veterinarians in the country. As a result, Bubi said some of the graduates had already gained employment with institutions working on livestock health. Ahmed Hassan, one of the graduates, said they had plenty of work ahead of them. He promised to put his skills to use in Somalia. “There is high demand for veterinary doctors in our country and we are ready to address such needs,” Hassan told Radio Ergo in Mogadishu. The Livestock Training and Surgery Institute was established in 2005. The faculty hopes to start a new course soon.
