By Nkechinyere Ewa
A wave of joy swept through the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (AE-FUTHA), on Thursday, October 9, 2025, as the De Imperial Philanthropist Family launched a ₦500 million medical intervention project for the South-East region and cleared hospital bills totaling ₦43,438,202.78 for 62 indigent patients.
The event, held at the Prof. Paul Ezeonu Auditorium, was described by the hospital’s Chief Medical Director (CMD), Professor Robinson Chukwuli Onoh, as “a historic and life-transforming gesture” that marked a turning point in the institution’s humanitarian drive.
“This is one of the greatest days in the history of this hospital,” Onoh said. “For years, we have had indigent patients who completed their treatment but remained detained because they couldn’t pay their bills. Today, thanks to the De Imperial Philanthropist Family, all 62 of them have been set free to go home and reunite with their families.”
The CMD explained that AE-FUTHA, one of Nigeria’s leading tertiary hospitals, has been at the forefront of healthcare delivery across the Southeast, North Central, and South-South zones, as well as neighboring Cameroon. However, many of its patients, especially from rural communities, struggle with the high cost of treatment.
He highlighted the hospital’s recent achievements including the establishment of an IVF center with over 20 successful births, a functional dialysis unit, neurosurgery and spine operations, and a fully accredited trauma and emergency center—while appealing for continued partnership in the hospital’s next phase of development, particularly the establishment of an open-heart surgery unit estimated to cost ₦90 million.
Representing the donors, Mr. Darlington Nwabunike, President of the De Imperial Philanthropist Family, said the organization was inspired by divine guidance to intervene in the health sector, emphasizing that their mission is to “give life, send children to school, and lift the poor from grass to grace.”
“We came here not because anyone invited us, but because God directed us,” Nwabunike said. “When we saw the number of patients trapped in the hospital due to unpaid bills, we knew we had to act. To the glory of God, we have paid ₦43.4 million for 62 patients, and this is only the beginning.”
He pledged that the ₦500 million South-East Medical Intervention Project would continue across other tertiary health institutions in the region, adding that the group’s members—comprising entrepreneurs and professionals—are united by a shared vision of service to humanity.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Ikechukwu Okorie from Onicha Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, could not hold back tears of gratitude. “I’ve been here since last year because I couldn’t pay my ₦1.1 million hospital bill,” he said. “But today, I’m free. I thank God and the De Imperial Family for rescuing me.”
Mrs. Cicila Onumaobi, representing the hospital’s Medical Social Welfare Unit, commended the donors for easing the burden on caregivers and staff. “Your generosity has not only set patients free but also motivated our workers to serve with renewed dedication,” she said.
The ceremony concluded with a symbolic cheque presentation of ₦43,438,202.78, officially confirming payment of all outstanding bills for the identified patients.
The CMD, visibly moved, called it “a divine act of compassion” that would forever remain in the annals of AE-FUTHA. “You have touched lives that may never meet you again,” he said. “But heaven will never forget this day.”