Archbishop Okeke Unveils Immaculate Heart Sisters’ Specialist Hospital At Nkpor

• Peter Obi Donates N2m To Health Institution

By Chuks Eke

It was a memorable event at the premises of Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Sisters’ Convent, Nkpor in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State as the Archbishop of Onitsha Catholic Archdiocese and Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Valerian Maduka Okeke performed the official opening of the newly completed hospital.

The ceremony which commenced with a concelebrated high mass officiated by Archbishop Okeke himself and assisted by the Catholic Bishop of Orlu Diocese, Most Rev. Augustine Ukwuoma, and his Aguleri counterpart, Bishop Denis Isizoh, also featured free medical treatments to some patients, as well as freewill donations from eminent personalities in attendance, including the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi who handed a cheque of N2 million as a donation to the hospital management.

In his homily during the mass, Archbishop Okeke charged the hospital administrators to be focused and maintain a standard of medical attention to their patients, adding that they should also maintain a moderate billing system so as not to scare their patients but at the same time generate enough funds to pay their staff and sustain their running costs.

Archbishop Okeke who received the most outstanding pillar of Support award on the occasion, also charged the management staff not to engage themselves in unnecessary power tussle thereby leaving their patients to suffer like the grass in a place where two elephants are fighting.

“Service of excellence is very vital to the success of every sector. It is good to always have good packaging. Packaging is part of the service of excellence but excellent service itself is more important in every sector”, said the Archbishop.

Handing over the N2 million cheque to the hospital management, as part of his further contributions towards the progress of the hospital, Peter Obi who was given the most outstanding pillar of Foundation award at the ceremony, commended Archbishop Okeke for his consistency in maintaining a healthy and education friendly Archdiocese.

According to Obi, “the problem we have in our society today is that our leaders do not understand the importance of health and education otherwise if they do, they would have placed health and education on top priority, knowing fully well that a healthy and educated nation is second to a developed country of the world”.

Dr. A B C Orjiakor, a member of the IHM Sisters’ Healthcare System Board, who doubled as chairman of the occasion and also received the outstanding support award, commended sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for their efforts in expanding the hospital from a mere medical clinic to a specialist hospital, within a space of years.

Orjiakor urged them to liaise with the state government in ensuring that the hospital is functioning optimally in the service of God and humanity.

The Superior-General of IHM, Rev. Mother Mary Claude Oguh and the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of the hospital, Rev. Sister Maria Nkiruka Okafor, recalled that Archbishop Charles Heerey who founded IHM in 1937, did not rest on his oars until he established Borromeo hospital and by extension the IHM clinic which has now metamorphosed into a specialist hospital.