From Olukayode Idowu, Maiduguri
SUNRISE NEWS, Borno, Sept 15, 2020 Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum has made new important appointments in the state’s health sector.
The governor announced the appointment of a new Chief Medical Director for Borno State Hospitals Management Board.
Zulum, announcing the appointment of Professor Mohammed Arab through a statement by his spokesman, Mallam Isa Gusau on Monday, said the outgoing CMD, Dr. Muhammad Ghuluze now becomes a Permanent Secretary.
In the same statement the appointment of Dr. Aliyu Mailafiya as the Executive Director of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, SPHCDA, was announced. He takes over from Dr. Sule Mele.
The statement noted that all the appointments are with immediate effect.
Zulum thanked the outgoing CMD of the Hospitals Management Board and E.D SPHCDA for their tremendous contributions in Borno’s healthcare development during the years they served, the statement added.
Arab, who is coming in as the new CMD, is a 57-year old medical professor with specialty in pediatrics, gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition. He runs the Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition / Infectious diseases specialist clinics at UMTH.
The incoming CMD is an Honourary Consultant Paediatrician at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, a locum (backup) consultant at Borno State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, and visiting consultant to General Sani Abacha hospital in Damaturu, Yobe State.
He was resident doctor in Ibadan and Kaduna.
As an academician, Arab has mentored many doctors, and has authored and co-authored 47 local and international academic publications.
Arab had served in more than 20 Technical Committees and as Facilitator/Investigator to several Government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)’s programmes which included the Federal Ministry of Health, Borno State Government on health projects, the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA) among others.
He has discharged numerous administrative responsibilities relating to healthcare services at the UMTH and College of Medical Sciences at UNIMAID.
The Professor’s research interest is Paediatric Nutrition and Infectious disease.
According to the statement, the Governor expects the incoming CMD to bring his wealth of knowledge and experience, especially in pediatrics, to bear in Borno’s healthcare sector for the improved well-being of both young, middle-aged and old citizens.