200 patients receiving treatment at various hospitals across Anambra State had their hospital bills cleared on Thursday, as part of a medical outreach and intervention, to mark the 55th birthday of the wife of Anambra State Governor, Dr Nonye Soludo.
The governor’s wife had visited the facilities, including Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi and the newly-built General Hospital, Okpoko, during which many patients received cash gifts to offset their medical bills and other sundry expenses.
There were also free surgical interventions and free eye care services, free medical treatment and screening for hypertension, diabetes, malaria and respiratory tract infection performed on the bill of the governor’s wife.
Speaking after the exercise in Okpoko, Dr Soludo said celebrating her birthday with the needy by visiting hospitals and the less-privileged homes had become a tradition that started long before she married.
According to her, that is the only way she feels she can exemplify the essence of human existence, showing love, giving hope, and putting smiles on people’s faces.
“Bringing happiness to others is my greatest joy. My happiest moments are when I see people smile. That is all I need to feel fulfilled. With what I have done today, I consider my birthday celebration complete; whatever comes after is just extra,” she said.
The governor’s wife urged other well-meaning people to cultivate the habit of touching lives in their own way while commending the medical team of the hospitals visited for their dedication to duty.
During a get-together held at the Light House, Awka, later in the evening, Governor Chukwuma Soludo, expressed gratitude to everyone who contributed to the day’s activities, adding that a birthday is not just about celebrating a person, but a moment of charity and reflection.
He explained that the surgeries, the hospital bills and other largesse were funded through resources put together by public-spirited individuals.
Describing his wife as a perfect life partner for him, Soludo said, “Whatever we have been able to accomplish in life, she is the machine, the engine, that powers the house. Don’t be deceived by her soft spoken words because behind that, is a woman of steel, a woman of character and my children and I are lucky to have a mother like her.
“I lost my mother when I was eight, but in her, I found a mother, a lover. While I celebrate her, I celebrate her values, and that is the key to what she did today.”
