President Tinubu Appoints Professor Thairu Yunusa as New CMD of University of Abuja Teaching Hospital; Vows to Reposition Gwagwalada Facility for Better Service

A new era of leadership has begun at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) following the appointment of Professor Thairu Yunusa as its substantive Chief Medical Director. Professor Yunusa marked his first full week in the role, having officially taken over the management of the tertiary health institution from the Acting CMD, Professor Bob Ukonu, late last week.

The appointment, which was sanctioned by President Bola Tinubu, “flips the script” on a period of interim leadership at the Gwagwalada-based hospital. Professor Yunusa is widely considered the “Solution” the facility needs, given his extensive administrative and clinical track record. He gained national prominence for his role in managing more than 600 COVID-19 cases with remarkably low mortality rates and for training over 400 healthcare workers in pandemic response within the Federal Capital Territory.

Speaking during a brief ceremony witnessed by the hospital’s top management, Yunusa expressed his gratitude to the President and the Minister of Health, Professor Ali Pate. He emphasized that his primary focus would be on improving patient experience and upgrading the hospital’s infectious disease and emergency response units. “We are here to work,” Yunusa stated, “and with the cooperation of the staff and management, we will ensure that UATH becomes a model for healthcare excellence in Nigeria.”

As a Consultant Physician and the current Dean of the Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences at the University of Abuja, Yunusa’s appointment bridges the gap between academic research and practical hospital management. With the federal government currently investing in the modernization of teaching hospitals nationwide, many eyes in the health sector are on Gwagwalada to see how the new CMD will implement his vision for a more efficient and technologically advanced UATH.