Avutu Medical Mission

Background of Avutu Medical Mission

In 2008, Madam Queen Obasi, a U. S. based veteran nurse of more than 30 years was thinking of how to help improve lives of people in Nigeria on a long term basis, especially, in the South Eastern parts of Nigeria. Under her organization, African Community Health Initiative (ACHI), she came up with the idea of organizing Medical Missions to Nigeria, but different from what our people have been used to. Instead of one-time, drug dispensation mission, she wanted a mission that would have a year-round sustenance component. The patients will have monthly visits with a health care professionals to make sure medications are properly provided, taken and basic questions addressed. She approached Paschal Nwokocha and his wife, Ugo, on whether they would partner with ACHI to provide the funding needed to make the program a reality in Avutu. Without hesitation, Mr. & Mrs. Nwokocha signed on, and thus was borne the Avutu Medical Mission.

Starting from 2009, the medical mission was hosted at All Saints Catholic Church Avutu. A few years later, it was moved from to the local school because of the goal of making sure that all Avutu people, regardless of religious denomination, had access to it. After a few years at the school, different challenges emerged with local politics, logistics and securing permission to the premises. Right around then, Mr. Nwokocha and his wife were contemplating completing then abandoned Aguneke Hall. On January 1, 2017, the couple completed and handed over the spacious and modern Aguneke Hall to the Aguneke community with a request that it also be made available to the Medical Mission, if needed. Since 2017, the Aguneke Hall has hosted the Annual Mission and year-round sustenance program.

Mr. Nwokocha solely funded the mission for three years. Then in 2011, in between his military tours in Iraq, Fr. Gerald Onuoha coincidentally visited Avutu during the period of the medical mission. He was impressed by the silent, but life changing mission. He advised Mr. Nwokocha that he wanted to be part of this program and decided to contribute financially towards this mission. From then, he became a financial partner to this project and a passionate booster of the program. He was so convinced of the relevance of this project that before his untimely death in 2015, he specifically requested that funds from his estate be dedicated to this mission, and that the mission be sustained for as long as possible.

Each year, the mission sees an average of 1100 people during the 3 day mission. For hundreds of people, this is their only annual medical checkup. Most importantly, for those with diabetes mellitus or high blood pressure, the health sustenance part of the program has been life-saving. The program provides those people with year-round medication for their condition including insulin at no cost. Hundreds of lives have been preserved through this. Thousands of people have also received free eye evaluation and prescription glasses.

As part of the Annual Medical Mission, doctors visit the local schools for health education, and deworming of the pupils. The Avutu Community and Central schools and All Saints Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools are usually visited as part of this exercise. Courtesy of Dr. Chisom Nwokocha, each student is provided toothpaste and brush, and instructed on oral and dental hygiene.

Thanks to Fr. Gerald Onuoha foundation, we will continue to provide these services to Avutu people and others that have come to rely on them.