Speaker Bios
Dr. Reza Nassiri - Dr. Gabriel Toma - Patricia Puline - Dr. Zahida Bhattistudent speakers: Lisa Mattingly - Student Panel on Overseas Volunteerism
Dr. Gabriel Toma
Dr. Gabriel I. O. Toma is a Nigerian trained Family Physician. He graduated from University of Ibadan's College of Medicine in Nigeria in 1988. He received his Family Medicine training at ECWA (Evangelical Church of West Africa) Evangel Hospital in Jos, Nigeria from 1992 to 1997. He was appointed Director/Medical Consultant of ECWA Community Health Program, in 1997. While at ECWA Community Health Program, he supervised a network of 112 rural Primary Health clinics spread over 16 states in the Northern and Middle-Belt regions of Nigeria. In May, 2000, he became the national President of Christian Medical and Dental Association of Nigeria - an association of over one thousand physicians and about 3,000 medical and dental students determined to live out their faith through compassionate and high quality care through integrity. He also became the West African regional secretary for the International Christian Medical and Dental Association in July, 2002.
He has had the opportunity to travel across West Africa and to some parts of Eastern and Southern Africa. He has attended International Leadership training courses and conferences, various other International conferences discussing various Health issues such as Community Health Development, 'Integrating Spirituality with Healthcare', and HIV/AIDS.
He worked part-time, from 2000 to 2002, as the Medical Consultant at Mashiah Foundation - a Christian charity for comprehensive care to people living with HIV/AIDS.
He is currently a member of the Board of Positive Women's Initiative (POWI), an organization of women living with HIV/AIDS. He is also a member of the Board of the Gospel Health and Development Services of the Anglican Diocese of Jos, and volunteers regularly at St. Luke's Cathedral Clinic, Jos, Nigeria. He is also a regular volunteer with ProHealth International - offering free qualitative and quantitative Healthcare to the rural peoples of Africa.
Dr. Toma has a passion to see Africa's Healthcare transformed into an efficient and effective system, catering to all levels of need, and believes that it is possible. As part of this passion, he is currently in the US to train as a cardiac surgeon and will return to Nigeria to help set up and run a functional cardiac center there. Currently, there is no functional cardiac center in Nigeria, which has a population of over one hundred and forty million people. Only one cardiac center currently serves the needs of West and Central Africa.
Dr. Toma is married to his wife Bose, and has three lovely girls, Mercy (11), Grace (6), Debbie (4).
