TheCable

The family of the Chike Akunyili has announced a free medical outreach at St. Leo’s specialist hospital in Trans-Ekulu, Enugu, to commemorate the first anniversary of his death.

Akunyili, who was the husband of the late Dora Akunyili, former minister of information and communication, was killed on September 28, 2021, at Umuoji, Idemili North LGA of Anambra state.

Obumneme Akunyili, a child of the deceased, said the medical outreach is important because it was his father’s dream to help ease access to medical care.

“It was my father’s biggest dream to be able to help people due to the financial constraints. In his situation, he couldn’t help everybody. But we will like to honour his legacy. He has always treated people for free, helped those in need; he treated kids for free. He couldn’t do that at his level back then, so this is our little way of remembering him positively,” Obumneme said.

“We would like to run it every year but this is the first time we are doing it on our own. But hopefully, if we have better funding in future and it’s something we are trying, yes, it will be a lovely way to honour every year; to say this was Dr Chike’s legacy — helping those in need, treating them for free and he became a people’s knight because of helping the needy.”

In a statement on Thursday, the hospital, founded by the deceased, said the outreach, which will take place on September 28, is to uphold the legacy of the late medical director.

“He was a philanthropist par excellence. And he offered free medical treatment to many too numerous to count. We are inviting the general public for a one-year memorial service of his unfortunate death, on Wednesday, 28th of September, 2022,” the statement reads.

“The service will be marked chiefly by a Holy Mass which will be presided over by the Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev. Prof. Godfrey Igwebuike Onah, by 10am and followed immediately by a free medical consultation and counselling for the public from noon till dusk.”

According to the hospital, the outreach “will include free blood pressure checks, body mass index (BMI), random glucose measurement, diabetes screening, medical consultations, counselling and dispensing of some medications to those who need it”.