President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr. Jideuma Ikenna Egwim as the substantive chief medical director (CMD) of the Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH), Owerri, in Imo state.
The appointment, announced on Tuesday, takes immediate effect and comes amid efforts by the federal government to strengthen leadership across tertiary health institutions.
FUTH Owerri, formerly the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), is a key referral facility in the south-east, serving a growing patient population with increasing demands for specialised care.
Egwim, a consultant family physician with over 26 years of clinical experience, hails from Obazu Mbieri in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo state.
He previously served as chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Imo chapter, between 2006 and 2008, where he led advocacy efforts on improved welfare for medical practitioners and better service delivery standards.
The new CMD is a fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, a distinction he earned in 2008, and a recipient of the Provost Award of the 1999 graduating class of the University of Ibadan medical school.
His academic background includes a master’s degree in clinical research from the University of Liverpool and a PhD in public health/epidemiology from Walden University in the United States.
He also received specialised training in palliative care from Hospice Africa, Uganda, and Harvard Medical School, Boston.
Within FUTH Owerri, Egwim has held several strategic roles, including head of the department of family medicine, head of the NHIA unit, and pioneer head of the palliative care unit.
He has also served in leadership capacities within professional bodies, including the Society of Family Physicians of Nigeria (Imo state chapter) and as a faculty board member in the faculty of family medicine at the National Postgraduate Medical College.
His appointment comes at a time the hospital faces pressure to improve infrastructure, expand specialised services, and enhance operational efficiency.
Stakeholders say his blend of clinical expertise and administrative experience positions him to drive reforms, improve patient-centred care, and strengthen institutional performance at the teaching hospital.
