The presidential candidate of the Labour Party during the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, has donated N75m to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Specialist Hospital, Nkpor, Anambra State.
Obi, while presenting the cheques to the hospital’s management on the hospital’s premises on Thursday, said the money was to help the hospital in critical areas of need and other health interventions.
The former Anambra State governor said the donation comprised $50,000, which he personally raised for the hospital through his friend and a renowned New York-based paediatrician, Dr Philip Ozuah, and his own personal donation of N15m.
He said he had always talked to people of like minds to support society in critical areas such as health and education while appreciating Ozuah for the positive intervention.
Obi said, “Institutions like the one run by the Immaculate Heart Sisters are in difficulty and require support because they don’t receive government subvention.
“They treat people, including the poor, who are unable to pay, so individuals like me should come to their aid and support them to do more. I have been doing this for years and I will continue to offer my support for this.
“I will always support institutions that are well managed like the Immaculate Heart of Mary Specialist Hospital, managed by the Immaculate Heart Sisters. They have proved to be effective managers of funds since my relationship with them over the years.
“I most sincerely thank the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters for the wonderful work they are doing in critical areas of developmental health, education and pulling people out of poverty.
“And I will continue to solicit support for them wherever I can. My brother and good friend, Dr Philip Ozuah, whom I consider a very kind and committed fellow in terms of improving humanity, has donated the sum of $50,000. I am also supporting with N15m.”
The Proprietor of the Immaculate Heart Hospital, Rev. Mother Maureen Akabogu, appreciated Obi for his gracious donation and consistent support for the Hospital since its inception.
She said, “It is indeed a great day of joy and I believe strongly what St. Paul said that for those who love God, everything works together for good. I was bothered about how to execute some projects in this hospital until I got the good news that Mr Peter Obi is coming to assist us and here we are.
“This is a great help to us and a great leap to what we are doing here in caring for the sick. The hospital runs many charity activities, including offsetting the bills of some indigent patients who could not pay their medical bills. The donation from Obi and his friend will help us greatly in this direction,” Akabogu added.
The Chief Executive Officer of Immaculate Heart Hospital, Rev. Sister Maria-Nkiruka Okafor, in her remarks, said Obi and Ozuah’s donation would go a long way to help in providing standard healthcare services to both the rich and the poor who access the hospital.
She solicited more assistance for the hospital from people of goodwill, noting that the hospital focuses on saving lives first and deemphasising money.
