By Chinedu Onyejelem

The chief medical officer of An Garda Siochana is a naturalised Irish man from Nigeria, Metro Éireann has learned.

Dr Oghenovo Oghuvbu was appointed the police force’s medical chief on 3 July 2017. However, he has been working as a specialist occupational physician with the Garda since 2010.

Dr Ovo, as he is also known, obtained his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from the University of Lagos in 1991. The same year, he moved to the West Indies where he did his medical internship and worked in senior house officer posts with the Ministry of Health in Trinidad and Tobago.

Moving to Ireland 22 years ago, Dr Ovo did pre-specialist medical training – both senior house officer and medical registrar posts – before specialising in occupational medicine.

Prior to joining the Garda medical department as a civilian, he was a specialist registrar in occupational medicine; a specialist occupational physician with Corporate Health Ireland; as well as specialist occupational physician for HSE West.

Dr Ovo is both a fellow as well as a board member of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.

Since 2011, he has also been a member of Emergency Management of Injuries and Post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) sub-committee of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), and he is a member of the Scientific Steering Committee of the National Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Conference.

Some of his other qualifications include an Advanced Diploma in occupational medicine from the University of Manchester, Diploma in tropical medicine from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and certificate in effective leadership and management for occupational health professionals from the University of Glasgow.