By Moses Ekpa, Abakaliki
In order to ensure that no Indigent or vulnerable person is held back in hospital after discharge, an organization under the umbrella of De Imperial Philanthropic Family (DIPF) have paid the hospital bills to the sum of 43.4 million naira for 72 indigent patients who failed to clear their charges after completion of treatment at Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital.
The group has set aside a whooping sum of half a billion naira towards addressing such challenges in south east Nigeria.
The group also gave a cash gift of N75,000 each to the lucky patients so as to easy their transport back to their respective homes.
Speaking during the ceremony held at Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital (AE-FUTHA 2), the President of De Imperial Philanthropic Family (DIPF) Dr. Darlington Nwabunike said the organization is also intervening with scholarship to indigent students and is also building classrooms to advance conducive teaching and learning in some schools in south east Nigeria.
Nwabunike noted that the organization, founded in 2021 with over 200 members were made up of captain of industries, entrepreneurs and wealthy sons of South East extraction.
According to him, “De Imperial Philanthropic Family is a made up of Captains of industries, entrepreneurs and who is who in south east Nigeria.
“We both came together for the purpose of saving lives, sending children to schools and lifting the poor from grass to grace.
“So we are directed by God to pay this visit to Ebonyi. So nobody invited us but Almighty God.
“When I saw the bills, for me it was heart broken but by the grace of God, we have come and we will conquer and won’t stop.
“So with me here is the compiled list of patients. And we have about 72 patients and the total bill is 43.4 million naira, truly stamped by the social welfare unit of Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital AE-FUTHA, Abakaliki
“And now we want to make a formal presentation of the sum to the management of this hospital led by Dr. Robinson Onoh.
“Here we are Philanthropic Family with over 200 members from South east region with the aim and objectives of helping in addressing health challenges.
“We are also into education intervention where we give scholarships and build classrooms to improve learning and teaching in schools across the five states in South East Nigeria.
“Presently we have classroom building projects ongoing in south east states and we are assuring the management of Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital of our continual intervention in the area of health henceforth.
“Again, we are giving out the sum of 5.2.million naira that would be shared to the patients, so approximately each of them is expected to go home with not less than 70,000,”he said.
One of the Executive Members of the Organization, Mr Okechukwu Cyprain Ani said it gives their organization joy to see happiness on people’s face hence the philanthropic movement.
Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of AE-FUTHA Abakaliki, Dr. Robinson Onoh who commended the organization for the humanitarian gesture, also pleaded with them to assist the hospital in it’s proposed plan to start heart surgery programme.
“The good thing about De Imperial is that we did not write to them or made any formal contact, they came on their own. And I what to say thank you. This money will go along way in advancing some programmes in the hospital.
“Presently, we have concluded plans to start heart surgery and we are using this opportunity to appeal to De Imperial Philanthropic Family to assist the patient in this direction.
“Now you can see smiles on the faces of these patients. Some of them have stayed here for more than one year without anyone to pay or clear their bills accept now you intervened.
“And I want to tell you that the joy and happiness you restored in the faces of this people here will never been erased”,he stated.
In appreciation, one of the beneficiaries, Mr.Sunday Masomachi thanks the organization for coming to their aide.
