ANPA Team Begins Medical Mission In Abia State, More Than 840 Surgeries To Be Done For Free

Finally, the team of medical experts by the Association of Nigeria physicians in the Americas, ANPA, has arrived Abia State for a 10-day medical mission.

The team led by ANPA president, Dr. Chinyere Anyogu, has already commenced surgeries at the federal medical center, FMC Umuahia, to be able to meet up with the high number of patients booked for their attention during the mission.

Addressing the newsmen at Banquet Hall in Government house Umuahia, on April 8th 2024, ANPA president, Dr. Anyogu, noted that despite a temporary setback on the flight schedule of some of the team members, the mission would continue as scheduled.

The ANPA president noted that due to the high number of surgery cases booked for the team, they decided to commence surgeries instead of waiting till Monday 8th April 2024, when it was originally scheduled for.

This, she explained was to enable the team handle all the cases before the end of the mission on April 14th, 2024.

She expressed satisfaction with the level of preparations on ground by the Abia State government and other partners.

On the choice of Abia state for this year’s ANPA medical mission, the ANPA helmsman said it was taken to complement the efforts of Governor Alex Otti, towards improving the Abia Health sector.

“We saw a lot of visionary actions of Gov. Alex Otti, and that’s why we choose Abia.

“We partner with local stakeholders to perform service delivery, capacity building and advocacy towards making Abians and Nigerians enjoy quality health care”.

Adding his voice, the chairman, local organizing committee and the chief medical Director, CMD federal medical center, FMC, Umuahia Professor Azubuike Onyebuchi, said that every necessary arrangement needed for the success of the mission had been put in place.

He affirmed that surgeries had already commenced ahead of the earlier scheduled date to enable them deal with the high volume of booked cases.

“We have selected 20 general surgery and gynecology cases from each of the 17 LGAs totaling 340, besides 500 eye surgery cases. We have put in place everything needed to succeed.

We are good to go”, Professor Onyemachi declared.

Speaking also, the National Association of North America Comprising USA and Canada, High Chief Enyinnaya Alamba, also expressed satisfaction with the quality of facilities at the venues; Abia Diagnostic/Specialist Hospital, Amachara General hospital, where the medical mission would be held.

He said the association decided to cue into the mission as part of it’s contribution to support the efforts of the state government towards quality health care delivery.

“Our motivation is to support this government that has shown interest to help the suffering poor people get quality health care, and we need to complement this good move”.

One of the lead surgeons, Dr. Iyore James, said she was ready to give her best to deliver quality health care services to Nigerians.

She said that despite the number of patients booked for surgery cases, the team would try to discharge all of them before leaving for the US.

In conclusion, Hon. Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, commended the association for Choosing Abia state,  also emphasized on training and capacity building for health care professionals during the ANPAs convention.