Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Affiliations
Certification
Custom
Timeline
Generic

Chimuka Musako

Mansa

Summary

A dedicated Senior Veterinary Officer with 7 months of experience [but with 11 years experience in a similar position as District Veterinary Officer] delivering prompt and detailed care for domestic animals with varying needs and urgency. Creative problem solver, providing expert patient triage and systematic care. Empathetic professional, relating to pet owners and listening closely to concerns to determine best care protocol for individual health. A patient and client-focused veterinarian; a collaborative and motivating team builder with proven strengths in operations management and organizational transformation. Skilled in leveraging medical history and symptoms to reach efficient and accurate diagnoses in animal disease control. Enjoys building positive, trusting relationships with both owners and pets. Skilled in large and small animal practice; an organized and dependable candidate successful at managing multiple priorities with a positive attitude. Willingness to take on added responsibilities to meet team goals. Detail-oriented, hardworking and passionate with strong organizational skill, ready to help team achieve goals. Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously with a high degree of accuracy in any environment.

I'm, therefore, ready to take up and maintain a full-time PhD position that offers professional challenges utilizing interpersonal skills, excellent time management and problem-solving skills to tackle the question that has been posed.

Overview

17
17
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Senior Veterinary Officer

Government Of The Republic Of Zambia
06.2023 - Current
  • Supervised and undertook effectively development and implementation of disease prevention and control programmes in order to eradicate and /or reduce livestock disease.

[there was a recent African Swine Fever outbreak in my area which was controlled by sensitization of farmers and traders,strict movement control of pigs and pig products, collection of samples for laboratory diagnosis and elimination of infected pigs].

[Another outbreak, this time of Anthrax, was experienced by 9 out of Zambia's 10 provinces. Fortunately, my province- Luapula province- was not affected. Nonetheless, sensitization messages were sent to the districts for the purpose of dissemination to communities via local radio stations and community meetings]

  • Supervised and undertook timely development and implementation of regulations in order to prevent disease spread (4 regulations were explained and disseminated to district staff)
  • Supervised and undertook timely development of individual and section work plans in order to monitor and evaluate performance (12 work plans were received from 12 districts)
  • Supervised and undertook timely disease monitoring and evaluation in order to facilitate implementation of disease control programmes. [see above]

District Coordinator (Min. of Fish and Livestock)

Government Of The Republic Of Zambia
06.2018 - 06.2023
  • Ensured effective interpretation and implementation of one (1) fisheries and three (3) livestock policies in order to attain ministerial objectives
  • Undertook effectively utilization of human resource (11 staff), financial resource (one (1) financial disbursement was received quarterly) and material resources (government transport and equipment) in order to ensure sustainable capacity building and attainment of Ministerial objectives
  • Coordinated effectively collaboration with other institutions (multiple government ministries and collaborating partners) and stakeholders in order to highlight core functions and operations of the Ministry.
  • Coordinated timely provision of technical and specialized services to farmers (both livestock and fishers) in the district in order to enhance productivity. Two (2) farmer trainings each in fisheries and animal health and production were conducted monthly.
  • Undertook regularly maintenance of up to date information management system in order to facilitate easy storage and retrieval of information.
  • Coordinated timely development of market linkages for livestock and fish products in order to enhance trade in the district. One (1) marketing bulletin was developed monthly for providing marketing information to farmers and traders.
  • Coordinated timely implementation of research protocols in livestock and fisheries in order to generate technology appropriate for farmers.
  • Coordinated timely dissemination of research findings in order to provide information for informed decision making. At least one (1) was conducted by collaborating partners annually.
  • Undertook effectively provision of extension services in order to impart knowledge and skills to farmers. At least 20 livestock and fish farmers were visited weekly.
  • Coordinated timely preparation of budgets in order to facilitate acquisition of financial resources. This was done once annually.
  • Developed effectively departmental and individual work plans in order to facilitate monitoring and evaluation of performance. Four (4) plans from 4 departments were submitted once annually.
  • Carried out one (1) monitoring and evaluation exercise each for fisheries and livestock programmes and activities quarterly in order to facilitate implementation of appropriate interventions.

District Veterinary Officer

Government Of The Republic Of Zambia
03.2007 - 06.2018
  • Performed surgical procedures with precision, ensuring safety and well-being of each patient during recovery. Being a small government clinic, at least 2 surgical procedures were conducted monthly, particularly for parturition cases in cattle. The rest were castrations, spays and wound management cases.
  • Conducted community rabies sentsitizations and vaccinations. two (2) were conducted annually;
  • Conducted community meetings on animal care and husbandry, parasite prevention and nutrition for various groups. At least 4 meetings were conducted monthly.
  • Diagnosed animal diseases through examinations, observation and testing.
  • Coordinated continuing education opportunities for clinic staff, keeping team up-to-date on advancements within field of veterinary medicine.
  • Managed medication administration, dispensed prescriptions and replenished inventory, carefully accounting for controlled substances.
  • Conducted research projects on animal health issues, contributing valuable findings to field of veterinary science. These were carried out during my Masters programmes.
  • Examined large and small animals to detect and determine nature of diseases or injuries.
  • Practiced veterinary medicine with emphasis on preventive care, chronic disease management and emergency medicine in small animals.
  • Collected animal blood samples and prepared specimens for shipment and laboratory testing.
  • Improved patient outcomes by providing expert diagnoses and implementing appropriate treatments for various animal species.
  • Maintained detailed diagnosis and treatment records for future reference.
  • Developed strong relationships with pet owners, resulting in increased client retention rates and growing referral network for the clinic.
  • Organized vaccination campaigns within the community to prevent common diseases like rabies from spreading to local pets and wildlife populations. These were conducted twice annually.
  • Managed a team of veterinary para-professionals, fostering a supportive work environment that prioritized high-quality patient care.
  • Spearheaded community outreach programs to promote responsible pet ownership. These were conducted twice annually.
  • Gathered pet health histories and symptoms to identify root cause of medical issues.
  • Dressed wounds and prescribed medication to prevent infection.
  • Increased client satisfaction through excellent communication skills and compassionate interactions with animals and their owners. At least 10-15 clients interactions were conducted daily.
  • Helped improve animal wellbeing by advising owners on better care strategies and treatment options.
  • Quarantined infected animals for specialized treatment to curtail disease spread.
  • Educated pet owners on preventative care measures, resulting in healthier pets and reduced medical costs.
  • Reviewed pet health history, examined animals, conducted tests and prescribed treatments for diagnosed conditions.
  • Participated in professional organizations and attended conferences to remain current on industry trends, bringing new knowledge back to the practice for continuous improvement.
  • Mentored junior staff members to develop their clinical skills and knowledge of veterinary medicine.
  • Reduced patient wait times with effective scheduling and time management strategies.
  • Proven ability to learn quickly and adapt to new situations.
  • Gained extensive knowledge in data entry, analysis and reporting.
  • Used critical thinking to break down problems, evaluate solutions and make decisions.
  • Learned and adapted quickly to new technology and software applications.
  • Demonstrated strong organizational and time management skills while managing multiple projects.
  • Strengthened communication skills through regular interactions with others.
  • Paid attention to detail while completing assignments.
  • Exercised leadership capabilities by successfully motivating and inspiring others.
  • Adaptable and proficient in learning new concepts quickly and efficiently.
  • Resolved problems, improved operations and provided exceptional service.
  • Participated in team projects, demonstrating ability to work collaboratively and effectively.
  • Assisted with day-to-day operations, working efficiently and productively with all team members.
  • Used strong analytical and problem-solving skills to develop effective solutions for challenging situations.
  • Cultivated interpersonal skills by building positive relationships with others.

Education

Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine - Veterinary Medicine

Sokoine University of Agriculture
Morogoro, Tanzania
11.2014

Master of Science in Veterinary Tropical Diseases - Veterinary Medicine

University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
04.2013

Bachelor of Science - Veterinary Science

University of Zimbabwe
Harare, Zimbabwe
06.2002

Skills

  • Effective owner communication
  • Preventive Care
  • Medication Administration
  • Post Operative Care
  • Vaccination Administration
  • Veterinary public health
  • Parasite control
  • Wound Care
  • Zoonotic disease prevention
  • Large animal medicine
  • Wound Management
  • Networking
  • Microsoft Office
  • Organizational Skills
  • Time Management
  • Cultural Awareness
  • Excellent Communication

Accomplishments


  • I supervised a team of 5 staff members [from the departments of Fisheries, Veterinary Services and Human Resource and Administration] in collecting revenue for the government in 2022 when I worked as a District Coordinator for the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock in Mwense District in Luapula Province, Zambia. Our target was to collect K21,077.00 [USD 1,240] and we collected K29,224.00 [USD 1,719]. These collections were done through the issuance of permits to livestock farmers [stock movement permits, slaughter permits] and licenses and certificates to fishers. This was against a back ground of apathy by farmers to pay the fees. The revenue collected was achieved through community sensitizations and meetings; as well as meetings with local ward councillors and traditional leaders in the areas where we worked in the district.
  • In 2014/2016 when I held the position of District Veterinary Officer, I acted in the position of Provincial Veterinary Officer. During that period, I supervised 11 District Veterinary Officers. During this period, I supervised my district staff to carry out mass dog vaccinations against rabies, as it is a problematic zoonotic in the province. These vaccinations were conducted in 7 out of the 11 districts in the province; 9,321 dogs were vaccinated against a provincial dog population of 14,606 representing a vaccination rate of 64%. This was in response to the confirmed outbreaks recorded in the affected districts. 59 dogs were eliminated by shooting in a combined team operation with the Zambia Police to eliminate stray dogs in Mansa district during the same year.
  • During the same period of 2014/2016, 5,990 cattle against a provincial cattle population of 11,448 were dipped to prevent tick borne diseases [TBDs]; representing a vaccination rate of 52%. During this period, the Government of the Republic of Zambia had embarked on a vigorous dip tank construction exercise country wide to help farmers dip their animals as opposed to using sprayers- which, as a method, was not very effective to prevent tick borne diseases. I, representing my ministry, then Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, was part of a team of government ministries that oversaw this exercise- Ministry of Works and Supply and the Ministry of Local Government and Housing and the Office of the Provincial Administration.

Affiliations

  • Veterinary Association of Zambia

Certification

1. Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine

2. Master of Science in Veterinary Tropical Disease

3. Bachelor of Veterinary Science

Custom

1. Taking care of animals: I care for goats, chickens and cats at home. I not only keep the goats and chickens as a hobby, I keep them in order to make extra finances as I eventually sell them.

2. Photography: Photography is one of my favourite passions. I take photographs of people, but my main interest is to take photographs of things- from a photo of a tree to that of an ant carrying a load on its head!

3. Travelling: Travelling is another of my favourite passions. All things being equal and resources allowing, I would like to travel the world to see its wonders. This would be a real dream come true!

4. Music: Another favourite passion of mine that allows me to relax.

5. Reading: If you can't literally be there, the only way you can know about the world around you is to be transported there in a book!

Timeline

Senior Veterinary Officer

Government Of The Republic Of Zambia
06.2023 - Current

District Coordinator (Min. of Fish and Livestock)

Government Of The Republic Of Zambia
06.2018 - 06.2023

District Veterinary Officer

Government Of The Republic Of Zambia
03.2007 - 06.2018

Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine - Veterinary Medicine

Sokoine University of Agriculture

Master of Science in Veterinary Tropical Diseases - Veterinary Medicine

University of Pretoria

Bachelor of Science - Veterinary Science

University of Zimbabwe

1. Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine

2. Master of Science in Veterinary Tropical Disease

3. Bachelor of Veterinary Science

Chimuka Musako