Digitalise veterinary profession for effective management of activities – Smart DVM Tech CEO

The Chief Executive of Smart DVM Technologies has revealed the importance of digitalising the veterinary profession and the impressive future it will have on the sector and its practioners.

Dr. Yinka Adeyoju disclosed this at the launch of Smart DVM, a veterinary practice software, in Lagos on
Wednesday.

He said the goal of the software is to address all problems associated with the practice of veterinary medicine.

“We try to work with the Veterinarians and see how we can digitalise the profession. The objective is to address all of those problems associated with the practice. We have the packages that come with the remedies, Dr. Adeyoju said.

“It’s not an easy task because of most veterinarians but, we see a good future with the technology (Smart DVM). It only needs time”, he added.

He also noted that despite the Nigerian system not set up to really track the aspect of quackery in veterinary practice, there’s more the software could still do to improve the situation.

“The technological impacts of the Smart DVM cannot be underrated, lots of veterinarians will benefit from the system in every aspects, especially administrative. The process will make everything go faster and it’s going to be great for the profession economically.

“We have a team of veterinarians that are technologically adept in developing and they will be looking forward to operating more in it and growing others”, he stated.

Moses Arokoyo, the President, Nigerian Veterinary Medicine Association (NVMA) said vetirinary practice in the country has been faced with decades long challenges but, believed that with the use of technology like the Smart DVM, lots of them will be solved. He also highlighted that the aspect of improved service delivery in the profession will be helped by the new software, including the issue of fake drugs.

“Generally, we need to find ways of being innovative and having greater impacts”, he said.
Dr. Arokoyo also faulted the Nigerian government excluding the Veterinary Council of Nigeria from its list of funding, describing it as “a paradox”.

“Recently, the government declared a state of emergency on food security and not too long after, that, the Veterinary Council of Nigeria was removed from funding as one of the health regulators. This is a paradox, it’s an irony, he said.

“Trying to improve food security in the country and deciding not to fund the veterinary council. What this means is that we are going to see more fake drugs and antimicrobial resistance. This postulates that at least, ten million persons will die yearly by 2050.

“It (the government) should expect more zonotic diseases, a kind of disease that moves from animals to man. One gets infected with anthrax, just through inhaling.

“So, not to fund means facing greater risks. 75 percent of the diseases faced today are from animal origin. Not funding the veterinary council will also increase more unregulated space and their likes.

“We still have governors of states that have employed hundreds of Veterinary Doctors, we thank them
for that”, he stated.

The President of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN), Dr. Aishatu Baju described the software as an
exciting project that will ensure an effective service delivery to Nigerians, including reducing the issue of
quackery.

“It compliments what we have been doing at the council, ensuring that the entire veterinary system is digitalised”, she enumerated.

She advised the innovators of the Smart DVM software to be intentional about capacity building, training on usage of the software.

“This is also beneficial to all, the practitioners and clients. It is important to the client to know when the
animal is actually due for vaccination and deworming and beneficial to the Vet to understand more on how to manage the business”, she concluded.