Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Abia State Government, in partnership with the Abia State Diaspora Commission, has commenced a week-long Abia State Global Medical Mission 2025, with several surgeries and medical consultations already underway at five designated centres across the state.
Speaking at the Abia State Specialist Hospital, Umuahia, after visiting other outreach centres, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, said the mission was a continuation of the governor’s transformative agenda in the health sector.
“This is part of His Excellency’s roadmap to healthcare equity in Abia State, which is a trilogy of carefully planned projects being implemented to ensure that people in Abia, irrespective of where they live, down to the last mile, can access the highest quality of healthcare.
“The idea is that His Excellency believes that taking healthcare directly to the people reduces healthcare costs and ensures that high-quality healthcare is delivered at the grassroots,” Prof. Uche stated.
He disclosed that the three components of the outreach include free medical services, collaboration with global health organisations, and health insurance. He added that the programme also has a training component aimed at equipping frontline healthcare workers with basic life support and advanced cardiovascular life support skills.
“This training is ongoing to ensure that our healthcare workers are given the right skill sets required to save lives,” he explained.
The commissioner, who lauded Governor Alex Otti’s commitment to healthcare delivery in Abia, noted that the governor was recently recognised as the top performer in primary healthcare in the South-East zone and one of the six best-performing governors nationwide. He said the outreach would help reduce quackery and urged Ndi Abia to take advantage of the opportunity to access free medical care.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Abia State Diaspora Commission, Mr. Okechukwu Agbara, said the team was delighted to collaborate with Governor Otti to deliver quality free medical services to the people.
According to him, the medical mission is providing free consultations, health promotion talks, skills transfer, free surgeries, as well as basic and advanced cardiovascular life support training. He commended Governor Otti’s commitment to the development of the state and assured continued support from the diaspora.
“This mission is being executed successfully. Surgeries are ongoing here, while eye surgeries are being carried out at the SDA Hospital, with about 150 cases handled daily. Abia State is becoming a place everyone can be proud of.
“For us in the diaspora, it is our responsibility to facilitate this kind of development and support the efforts the governor is making. Not too long ago, Abia State won the NGF award of about $500,000. I will do my best to ensure that we make the necessary contacts for the state to receive what it deserves in terms of diaspora investment, healthcare, and connections.
“He has done so much, and I thank him immensely for prioritising healthcare in both his budget and development plans,” Agbara said.
He also appreciated the doctors who volunteered for the medical mission, both from the diaspora and within the country, as well as members of the Diaspora Commission.
Some medical personnel, including Dr. Chinedu Nwaru and Mr. Goodluck Esiwoke, said they were handling various surgical procedures, noting that hundreds of patients had already been attended to. They appreciated the partnership with Governor Otti, describing Abia State as being at the forefront of several developmental initiatives.
Meanwhile, some beneficiaries of the outreach at the SDA Hospital, Aba, including Mrs. Nnenna Chibuzor, whose young son underwent hernia surgery; Mr. Izuchukwu Chinedu; Mr. Onyendi Clement, who also had a hernia operation; and Mr. Ikechukwu Onyebuchi, whose son was operated on at the Specialist Hospital, Umuahia, expressed gratitude for benefiting from the governor’s free medical outreach.
Venues for the medical outreach include the Abia State Specialist Hospital, Aba Road, Umuahia; Uzuakoli Methodist Hospital; Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, Ogbor Hill, Aba; Ahiaeke Primary Health Centre; and Okoko Item Health Centre.
The exercise, which runs daily between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., is expected to conclude on Friday, December 18.
