The wife of the Ebonyi State Governor, Mrs. Mary Maudline Uzoamaka Nwifuru, has launched a free medical outreach to provide life-saving surgeries for 657 patients with hernia, fibroid, eye defects, and breast lumps.
The initiative also includes complimentary eye screenings, with 626 individuals already benefiting.
Patients diagnosed with complex conditions will also receive corrective surgeries, while others will be provided with medicated eyeglasses to improve their vision.
The programme underscores the State Government’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery and ensuring access to quality medical services for the less privileged.
The exercise, now in its third phase, is a joint initiative of the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency (EBSHIA) and the BERWO Foundation, the Governor’s wife’s pet project. The flag-off ceremony was held at the Women Development Centre, Abakaliki.
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Speaking at the event, Mrs. Nwifuru reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to prioritising healthcare.
She said; “Health will remain the core of our development priorities. Because when our people are healthy, they can learn, work, farm, and trade. Together, we shall continue to build a state where health is a right, not a privilege.”
The Governor’s Wife urged Ebonyi people to embrace the programme fully, stressing that it is designed to restore hope and dignity to families struggling with health challenges.
“This initiative is not just about free surgeries or health insurance cards. It is about proving that government can be compassionate, responsive, and close to the people,” she said.
Mrs. Nwifuru noted that many families silently suffering the burden of hernia, fibroid, and poor eyesight due to financial hardship. She said the free outreach aims to relieve such burdens and transform lives across communities in the State.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, lauded Governor Francis Nwifuru’s strides in the health sector, including the recruitment of health workers, provision of medical equipment, and free ambulances.
He recalled that the First Lady had enrolled 4,000 pregnant women, 300 sickle cell warriors, and 1,300 others into the state’s health insurance scheme.
EBSHIA Executive Secretary, Dr. Divine Igwe, disclosed that out of 1,283 patients registered, 626 underwent eye screening, while 657 will receive surgeries for various conditions. He commended the Governor and his wife for repositioning the state’s healthcare system.
Other dignitaries, including EBSHIA Chairman Mrs. Elizabeth Ogbaga, Vice Chancellor of David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences Uburu, Prof. Jesse Uneke, and BERWO team member, Barr. Kelechi Mbam, described the medical interventions of the Governor and his wife as unprecedented.
They hailed their commitment to improving the health of the less privileged and prayed for God’s continued blessings upon them.
A testifier of the medical interventions, Mrs Ogbodo Onyemachi from Ohaukwu Local Government Area, who undergone fibroid surgical operation said that she was treated free of charge. She commended Governor Nwifuru and his wife for saving her life.