By Favour Goodness
Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship Most Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor has paid the hospital bills of poor patients at the Regina Caeli Hospital, Awka, the State capital.
The bills which ran into millions of naira was part of the Bishop’s charitable undertakings.
The Bishop was at the hospital to commission projects, including newly refurbished labour room, state-of-the-art funeral home, entrance gate as well as reconstructed Reverend Sisters’ Convent.
The visibly sober bishop, on seeing the hapless patients quickly reached out to the hospital’s Manager, Rev Fr. Innocent Affusim, requesting the patients’ bills be prepared at his expense.
He said, “I discovered that there are patients who have overstayed their welcome in the hospital owing to lack of finance and was deeply touched by their cries for help.”
Ezeokafor called on spirited individuals to assist the hospital financially and materially, stating that without donations and supports there was nowhere the hospital would attain its full potentials.
Breakdown of the bills were: Mr Chijioke Nwoye Peter, an accident victim from Nteje in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State – N287000; Mr Kenneth Onah, an accident victim from Nsukka , Enugu State -N443000 and Mr Ifeanyi Nebe, an accident victim from Ogbunka in Orumba South – N380,000 Naira, among other life enhancing assistance rendered by the bishop.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Onah said they were grateful to the Prelate for his kind gesture and humane spirit.
“We are indeed lucky to have crossed Bishop Ezeokafor’s path,” he said.
Earlier in a homily, the Local Ordinary described Regina Caeli Hospital as one of the apostolate of the diocese.
He explained that the facility was built to cater for the sick people and not necessarily for profit making, adding that the medical personnel, management and staff were being paid from proceeds made from the services rendered.
Those who accompanied the bishop to the visit included the Chancellor, Catholic Diocese of Awka, Very Rev Fr Dr Francis Chidume and the Director of Social Communications and Director of Fides Media, Rev Fr Dr Martin Anusi.
Others were Mother General of the Daughters of Divine Love (DDL), Rev Mother Mary Anastasia Dike, Chief Medical Director of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku, Awka, Dr Joe Akabuike, among others.
