Ex-Jigawa commissioner for health, Mahmud Isah, is dead

The management of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) in Kano on Tuesday announced the death of its former Chief Medical Director and former commissioner of health in Jigawa state.

The deceased, Mahmud Isah, was aged 60.

Mr Isah, a professor, hailed from Sabalari community in Dutse, Jigawa State, died on Monday 5th October, 2020 at the hospital’s intensive care unit.

The AKTH’s spokesperson, Hauwa Abdullahi, in a statement, said under Mr Isah, the hospital was rated as the best teaching hospital in terms of service delivery by SERVICOM, Abuja.

The deceased served the Jigawa State Government between February 1992 and February 1994 as Commissioner for Health and later as Secretary to the Government of the state under the administration of former governor Ali Sa`ad.

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He attended Magwan Primary School and later proceeded to Rumfa College Kano, after which he gained
admission into the School of Basic Studies, Zaria for his degree programme. He graduated with MBBS degree from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 1982.

He worked with the Department of Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State from 1984 to 1987 where he rose to the position of Senior Registrar.

He also worked at the Lagos University Hospital (Hematology Unit) from 1987 to 1988 and at the St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, and the Hammer Smith Hospital both in the UK in 1989.

Late Mr Isa also served as a Consultant Physician at the Kano State’s two major hospitals Nassarawa and Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospitals between 1989 – 1991.

He went back to Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital as Acting Head of Department of Hematology and Blood Transfusion.

He then joined the services of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital as chief consultant in May 1994, and became the first Chairperson of the Medical Advisory Committee up to November 1997.

In December 1998 he was appointed Dean Faculty of Medicine, Bayero University, Kano.

In July 2003 he became the second Chief Medical Director of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital as approved by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo

He became a Fellow of the West African College of Physicians in 2008

He was voted as the best Indigent Patients friendly CMD by the Association of Medical Social Workers of Nigeria at its Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Also, the hospital was voted as the best environmentally friendly hospital in Kano by the Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria.

During his tenure, Mr Isa was the Chairperson Committee of Chief Executives of Federal Tertiary Hospitals of Nigeria.

He was also the chairperson Gunduma Health System, under the Jigawa State government during the administration of former governor Sule Lamido.

He was buried on Tuesday 6th October 2020 after a funeral prayer at Al-furqan Juma’at Mosque in Kano.

”May his soul rest in perfect peace,” Mrs Abdullahi said in a statement.