5,000 get free medical services in Anambra town

Worried by the deteriorating health conditions of rural dwellers, a philanthropist from Okofia village, Osumenyi in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Sir Nnamdi Obi (Ozodinobi) has sworn to do everything humanly possible to ensure that his Osumenyi people and others from other communities would benefit from health care delivery beyond their imagination.
To achieve his mission and vision of health for all in his area, Obi, a pharmacist, developed Chief Ezenwa Obi/Mrs Virginia Obi Foundation set up in memory of his late parents. it is saddled with the responsibility of organizing free medical services to thousands of beneficiaries annually in the past 13 years.
Explaining what informed his decision to embark upon the yearly free medical services which cost him millions of naira in each edition, Obi who is also the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Embassy Pharmaceutical and Chemicals Limited, Lagos, said the foundation took cognizance of the fact that it is part of the social responsibilities of his company to give back to society.
“We are aware that one has to give back to society what God has deposited in him, to show gratitude to God. And we decided that there is no better way to do it than to start addressing the medical needs of our environment.
“This is established in memory of our parents who had lived the life of charity, attending to the needs of the less privileged in our society. Then we decided that the best way to immortalize their souls is to establish the foundation. Thousands of people have already benefited from the programme since its inception 13 years ago,” Obi said.
He said the free medical services were not limited to people from Osumenyi community or Anambra State alone as beneficiaries in this year’s edition were from states like Akwa Ibom, Osun, Cross Rivers, Imo, Abia, Ebony and some from the North.
Obi said he never cared to know where the beneficiaries came from, saying that the concern of the foundation was to provide the services to as many people as possible “to the glory of God.”
On how much it always takes him to organize the programme annually, the philanthropist declined to give any figure.
His reaction was that he was only giving a fraction of what God does for him, asking rhthorically what should be the naira value of the life God gives to him and every other persons in addition to His blessings.
He made it clear that he was not rendering the free medical services or any other philanthropic gesture for any political reason as he never had his eye on politics.
“I do not vie for any political office and I do not have any political ambition. I am doing all these for the love I have for my people and mankind. Look at the drugs there, they cost millions and like I said before, I don’t want to quantify anything. I’m just grateful to God that I can afford it,” the pharmacist said.
His younger brother, Chief Chukwudi never hid his feelings as he said that he was extremely happy that the family was contributing its own quota to the health care of the people.
“They avail themselves of the opportunity provided by the foundation. I feel good. This is worthy of emulation. Those who have should help the have nots in our society. People should always look inwards and contribute in whichever way possible to help those in need,” Chief Chukwudi said.
A breakdown of the number of beneficiaries of the programme this year which took place at Comprehensive Health Centre, Okofia, according to the coordinator, Mr Remigus Chukwudi, was 3,500, who were initially registered but later it increased to 5,000 because of the influx of more patients from many parts of the country, ranging from those suffering from eye problems to general ill health.
Mr Chukwudi said there were 10 medical doctors of diverse fields on ground and nine nurses to assist.
He disclosed that surgery cases were referred to hospitals and the bills paid by the foundation.
He explained that free eye glasses were also given to those who needed them.
One of the medical personnel who flew in from London because of the programme, Dr Chioma Oliobi, a public health specialist, gave lectures to the beneficiaries on general health matters.
The beneficiaries were full of praises to their benefactor for remembering them in a special way.