The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu, yesterday, pledged to strengthen health care infrastructure and improve staff welfare at the tertiary health institution in line with President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” to reposition the health sector.

Prof. Ize-Iyamu pledged when she officially assumed office as Chief Medical Director of the institution amid cheers and fanfare from members of staff and students of the UBTH.

The Professor of Orthodontics, who is the first female CMD in UBTH, the first Dentist as CMD in UBTH, and the first Orthodontist as CMD to hold the office, expressed her dedication to excellence and support for the national drive for equitable, cost-effective, and reliable healthcare for all Nigerians.

He said: “I am profoundly grateful to President Bola Tinubu for the confidence reposed in me through this appointment. I pledge my total commitment to the “Renewed Hope Agenda,” particularly in the health sector, which seeks to restore faith in public institutions and deliver healthcare that is accessible, affordable, and of the highest standard.

“My sincere gratitude also goes to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, for his recommendation and the trust he has placed in me.”

She noted that the race for the CMD position was not without some challenges, but appreciated her colleagues and predecessors, including the immediate past CMD, Prof. Darlington Obaseki, and those who also contested for the position of CMD.