A Senior Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Maureen Umeakuewulu, has assumed office as the new Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital in Awka.
She succeeds Joe Akabuike, who served as CMD during the first tenure of Charles Chukwuma Soludo.
Before her appointment, Dr. Umeakuewulu held several leadership roles, including Chairperson of the Medical Women Association of Nigeria (FCT Chapter), President of the Association of Catholic Medical and Dental Practitioners of Nigeria (FCT Chapter), and Nigerian Ambassador for the International Human Papilloma Virus Society. She also served as a consultant to the Federal Ministry of Health.
Speaking during her maiden media briefing in Awka, the new CMD commended Governor Soludo for the establishment of a modern trauma centre at the hospital. She described the facility as a major step toward positioning the institution as a regional hub for emergency and trauma care across the Southeast.
According to her, the centre equipped with advanced medical technology will address longstanding gaps in trauma care within the region and is expected to become fully operational in the coming months.
Despite the progress, Dr. Umeakuewulu called for further investment in healthcare infrastructure, particularly the establishment of a cancer treatment centre in the state. She noted that the absence of such a facility forces patients to seek care outside Anambra, often at significant financial and emotional cost.
Expressing appreciation to the state government for her appointment, she outlined a strategic vision aimed at transforming the teaching hospital into a centre of excellence across multiple medical specialties.
Her administration, she said, will prioritise three key areas: improved service delivery, capacity building through training and retraining of personnel, and strengthening research activities.
As part of efforts to enhance efficiency, the CMD announced plans to digitise hospital operations, replacing manual processes with automated systems to reduce delays, minimise revenue leakages, and improve patient experience.
She also revealed plans to revitalise underperforming departments, as well as expand critical units such as orthopaedics and radiology through the recruitment of additional specialists.
In the area of medical education, Dr. Umeakuewulu said the hospital would intensify efforts to secure accreditation for residency training programmes across all departments, building on the work of previous administrations.
To improve workforce capacity, the hospital intends to establish partnerships with local and international institutions for knowledge exchange, while also strengthening telemedicine services to reach patients in remote areas.
The CMD further disclosed plans to explore grant opportunities and foster collaborations to boost medical research, while appealing to well-meaning individuals and the Anambra diaspora to support the hospital through endowments and donations.
Additionally, she emphasized the need to strengthen the hospital’s satellite facilities and referral systems to ensure better access to care at the grassroots level.
Highlighting maternal health as a key concern, Dr. Umeakuewulu stressed the urgency of addressing Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rate, particularly in rural communities where many women still give birth outside formal healthcare settings.
She affirmed that her leadership would focus on expanding access to quality care, improving outcomes, and restoring public confidence in the institution.
