Professor Godfrey Ignatius Muguti
By Dickson Bandera
Zimbabwe is well acclaimed for producing global experts due to its world class education system as well as the resilient nature of her citizens.
In the medical field, Zimbabwe has over the years produced high calibre professionals who have not only shaped the country’s health landscape but made a mark at the global stage.
One such exceptional medical practioner, researcher, mentor and lecturer is Professor Godfrey Ignatius Muguti.
Prof Muguti recently got the ZiMA Lifetime Achievement Award at the recently held ZiMA Awards.
In this article, we highlight some of his achievements along his journey in the medical fraternity.
Born on the 30th of August in 1952 in Masvingo, Professor Muguti attained his medicine degree in 1978 at the University of Zimbabwe and this marked his long journey of medicine.
He trained in Zimbabwe, Edinburgh, U K. and Sydney, Australia. He did a Fellowship in Hepatobiliary Surgery at Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney.
His acquisition of knowledge and experience made him land various top posts. He is the Professor of Surgery and Professorial Chair in the Department of Surgical Sciences at the University of Zimbabwe
At the Stanford University School of Medicine, USA, he is also a Clinical Professor of Surgery in the Department of Surgery.
He is the Medical Director of The Avenues Clinic in Harare and the immediate past President of the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA).
Before joining the Department of Surgical Sciences at the University of Zimbabwe as an Associate Professor, he had served for 10 years as Head of Department of Surgery and Consultant Surgeon at Mpilo Central Hospital and the United Bulawayo Hospitals.
His clinical and research interests are in general surgery and plastic and reconstructive surgery. He established the Plastic Surgery training programme in Zimbabwe and has contributed to the development of plastic and reconstructive surgery in the COSECSA region over the last 10 years in his role as Programme Director in the College.
A Consultant Surgeon in Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, he has also been a Clinical Tutor at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, U K.
Professor Muguti has served as a Commissioner on the Zimbabwe Health Review Commission and Foundation President of the Surgical Society of Zimbabwe.
He is past Editor – in – Chief of the Central African Journal of Medicine. In 2016 he was invited to deliver the annual Rowan Nicks lecture at the Annual Scientific Congress of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and was awarded the College Medal.
He was awarded the Honorary FRCS(Eng) by the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1997.
More recently he was the featured Guest Speaker at the ReSurge International 2023 Transformations Gala in San Francisco, USA and was awarded the Donald R Laub Humanitarian Award for his successful leadership as President of the College of Surgeons of East Central and Southern Africa ( COSECSA).
Professor Muguti has been the main driving force in the establishment of the University of Zimbabwe International Centre for Surgical Simulation (UZICSS). The Centre which was established as a collaboration between the University of Zimbabwe and Karl Storz, Endoskope, Germany was designed as the training hub for minimal invasive surgery in Zimbabwe and Sub-Saharan Africa.
At the University of Zimbabwe he has supervised many research projects for postgraduate students. He is well published with more than 100 scientific publications and and 90 Conference presentations.
