A surgeon, ophthalmologist, scholar and administrator, Dr. Tarilah Tebepah was born on 13th January, 1952. He manifested traits of brilliance from a youthful age by, among others, obtaining the West African School Certificate with distinction in 1972.
Thereafter, he attended the University of Ibadan, from where he obtained a degree in Medicine and Surgery (MBBS). He has a Certificate in Health Economics and has also participated in the Advanced Management Programme of Oxford University. In addition, he is a Fellow of the Medical College of Ophthalmology as well as a Fellow of the West African College of Surgeons.
Dr. Tebepah started his medical career in 1979 as a House Officer at the General Hospital, Port Harcourt and rose to the position of Medical Officer in 1981. He left the following year to join the University College Hospital, Ibadan as a Resident Doctor. He worked at the University College Hospital, Ibadan up till 1987. From 1982 to 1988, Dr. Tebepah was also a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Head of Department at the Ring Road Specialist Hospital, Ibadan.
In 1989, he became a Visiting Ophthalmologist at the Royal Infirmary, Redditch in the United Kingdom, a position he held till 1993, when he joined the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt as a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Head of Department. He held this position alongside that of Lecture 1 at the University of Port Harcourt from 1993 to 1999. Between 1999 and 2003, Dr. Tebepah served as Commissioner of Health in Bayelsa State. He has also served as a Trustee of the Education Trust Fund and Chairman of ETF Research Fund Committee.
A winner of several awards, Dr. Tebepah has many publications and papers to his credit.