21/08/2024
Brig Gen (Dr) Brian Chituwo (Rtd),who is he?
By Buffalo Reporter
Lusaka
In its 60 years of existence,Zambia Army’s contribution to national governance has been a writing on the wall. It has over the years contributed different men to the National governance system, and their performance has been superb.
Today, we look at Brigadier General (Dr) Brian Chituwo (Rtd) who, once served the country in different ministerial positions.
Brig Gen (Dr) Chituwo was born on 1 June, 1947 in Luanshya District on the Copperbelt Province. He is married to Mrs Irene Chella Chituwo, a retired midwife and together they have four grown - up children, among them two Doctors, a Public Health Specialist and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon and a Lawyer.
Brig Gen (Dr) Brian Chituwo attended Mumbwa and Methodist primary schools for his primary education and later, went to Kafue Secondary School for secondary education and completed in 1967.
Brig Gen (Dr) Chituwo enrolled at the of Zambia where he graduated with his first degree in Human Biology in 1972.
He was attested in the Zambia Army in 1974 and trained as Officer Cadet at the Military Training Establishment of Zambia( MILTEZ) in 1976.
He was promoted to the rank of Captain upon commissioning and was appointed as Regimental Medical Officer at the Third Zambian Regiment (3ZR) in 1977 under the command of Lt Col Christon Tembo.
Brig Gen (Dr) Brian Chituwo also served as Commanding Officer at Maina Soko Military Hospital, Department of Surgery in 1984. At that time,Maina Soko wasn’t fully operational due to inadequate equipment and Labour force.
Brig Gen (Dr) Chituwo also served as Consultant Surgeon at Maina Soko Medical Centre before being attached to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in the same capacity.
“I was the first Surgeon at Maina Soko Military Hospital. You may recall that the Army allowed me to render services at UTH so that I could establish a department at MSMS. I worked with Chinese Medical teams too,” he says.
In the Zambia Army’s Medical Corps, Brig Gen (Dr) Chituwo rose through the ranks from Captain to Brigadier General with concurrent incremental responsibilities in clinical and management positions.
He rose through the ranks through training and mentorship from hospital intern to Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon. At the rank of Colonel, Brig Gen (Dr) Chituwo was seconded to the Zambia Air Force where he served as Director of Medical Services from 1987-1994.
He was then elevate to Brig Gen while on secondment, and later appointed Commandant, Maina Soko Medical Centre. He was in 1995,seconded to the Ministry of Health and appointed Executive Director Ndola Central Hospital till 2000 when he retired from the Army.
A hands-on team player who even, when holding executive positions in the two largest public hospitals namely Ndola Teaching Hospital and University Teaching Hospital, kept in touch with clinical work by attending clinical meetings from time to time and actually operating and making follow - ups- on patients.
Brig Gen Dr Chituwo acquired management skills in dealing with diverse nationals in specialised fields of Surgery, Medicine, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Diagnostic services, Nursing, Paramedical and general support staff.
Professionally, he worked at the University Teaching Hospital as Deputy Managing Director and Director of Clinical Services from 2000-2002, Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon and Honorary Lecturer Department of Surgery in 2001, Senior Registrar Department of Surgery from 1982-1990.
He also worked at Kabwe General and Kabwe Mine Hospitals as Executive Director. Brig Gen (Dr) Chituwo also served as Executive Director and Chief Consultant and Dean School of Health Sciences at City University of Science and Technology, Vice Chancellor, City University of Science and Technology.
Brig Gen (Dr) Chituwo was so privileged to have served Zambia at the highest levels of Health Policy formulation in the Executive branch of Government as Minister and in Legislature as Member of Parliament where he also served as Chairman on Parliamentary Health Committee.
He was nominated Member of Parliament in 2002, Member of Parliament for Mumbwa constituency from 2006 to 2011 on the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), and also member of the Accounts Committee in 2015.
Brig Gen (Dr) Chituwo was Zambia’s Minister of Health from 2002-2004, 2007-2008, Minister of Education in 2005, Minister of Science and Vocational Training in 2006, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives in 2009 and Minister of Local Government and Housing from 2010 to 2011 under the leadership of Presidents Levy Patrick Mwanawasa and Rupiha Banda.
Brig Gen (Dr) Chituwo is a holder of a Masters degree in Orthopaedics from the University College of London and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He also holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from UNZA.
He is a holder of multiple Certificates in Health Care Administration and Hospital Management from Technion - Haifa Israel Institute of Technology, Certificate of Aviation Medicine, Royal Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine, Farnborough, Hampshire and Disaster Preparedness Training with 502D of USA Mobile Army Surgical Hospital among other certificates.
He is member of the Founding Fellow of the College of Surgeons of East, Southern and Central Africa (COSESCA) and is a recipient of several awards such as Grand Commander of Distinguished Service (CODS), 1st Division, Zambia Medical Association Award in recognition outstanding leadership in Medical Profession 2006.
Brig Gen (Dr) Chituwo was Vice President of Private Universities Association of Zambia (PUAZ), 2016, Spokesperson of the Coalition of African Parliamentarians against HIV/AIDS: 2011-2015, Member of the Global Network on Diabetes and Member of Parliamentary Caucus on the Rights of the Child: 2012-2015.
He is currently offering consultancy services in the various specialties of medicine.
(The Zambia Army)
