Francis Omaswa

Professor Francis Gervase Omaswa, commonly known as Francis Omaswa, Ugandan cardiovascular surgeon, academic and administrator.^[1] He is the current chancellor of Busitema University, a public university, one of the 41 licensed universities in the country, as at February 2015.^[2] He has served in that capacity since June 2009.^[3]

Background and education

He was born in Mukula Village, Kumi District, in Eastern Uganda, circa 1943. His parents, both of whom are deceased, were Yafesi Ijookit and Matilda Acom. He attended Mukura Primary School from P1 to P4, then transferred to Koloin Primary School, from P5 to P6. After passing his Primary Leaving Exanimations (PLE), he joined Holy Angels Junior Secondary School, in Soroti District for his Junior One and Two. Before 1966, primary education lasted six years and junior school lasted two. He then studied at St. Mary's College Kisubi, for both his O-Level and A-Level education. In 1964, he was admitted to Makerere University School of Medicine, graduating in 1969, with the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. Later, he would graduate with the degree of Master of Medicine in Surgery, awarded by Makerere University in 1974. Still later, he was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He also holds the title Fellow of the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA), a College he helped to found.^[4]

Career

Following his Internship, Omaswa worked as a medical officer from 1970 until September 1974, when he left for further studies in the United Kingdom. He trained as a cardiothoracic surgeon. After his training, he worked for the National Health Service (NHS), eventually becoming a Senior Registrar in cardio-thoracic surgery at . He eventually became a Senior Registrar in cardio-thoracic surgery at the NHS.

In 1979, he accepted an invitation by the Kenyan Government to become the head of cardio-thoracic surgery at Kenyatta National Hospital and the University of Nairobi. He worked in that capacity until 1982. From 1983 until 1986, he served as the Medical Director and Chief of Surgery at Ngora Freda Carr Hospital, in Ngora, Teso sub-region. From 1987 until 1992 he served as the first Medical Director of Uganda Heart Institute, which he helped to establish. He concurrently served as Professor of Surgery at Makerere University School of Medicine. From 1992 until 1999, he served as the Chief Government Surgeon and head of the Quality Assurance Program that he established at the Ministry of Health. In April 1999, he became the Director General of health services at the Uganda Ministry of Health, a position he held until 2005 when the WHO director general, Dr. Margaret Chan invited him to set up the Global Health Workforce Alliance (GHWA). He moved to Geneva, Switzerland to set up the Alliance.^[5] He returned to Uganda in 2008 and was appointed chancellor at Busitema University in 2009.^[4]

Other responsibilities

Professor Omaswa has a very active professional life. In addition to the tasks outlined above, he has the following additional responsibilities:

• Member, Board of Directors, Uganda Heart Institute^[6]
• Member of the Institute of Medicine - He was elected in November 2014.^[7]
• Chairman of the task force to set up Teso University, a proposed private institution of higher education, based in Soroti.^[4]

Professor Omaswa is married to Dr. Catherine Nyapidi Omaswa, an Anesthesiologist, also a graduate of Makerere.^[4]

See also

• Education in Uganda
• Ugandan university leaders
• List of universities in Uganda
• List of medical schools in Uganda
• Uganda Heart Institute

References

Succession table as chancellor of Busitema University

External links

• Website of Busitema University