By Emeka Chiaghanam
A Day of Relief and Renewed
Hope in Awka
Awka, Anambra State wore a different mood of gratitude and
quiet celebration as residents gathered for a free medical outreach that many
described as a lifeline in difficult times.
The programme, organised by the family of the late Professor
Anthony Ikpechukwu Agbata, has now been expanded into a monthly health
foundation offering free treatment to indigent residents, especially those
living with long-term illnesses.
For many who turned up at Ezi-Umuanaga, Agulu Quarter, it
was more than a medical outreach. It was a chance to receive care they said
would otherwise be too expensive to afford.
The event also marked the formal unveiling of the Prof
Anthony Agbata Health Foundation, created to continue his legacy of service and
community healthcare support.
From Annual Mission to Monthly
Lifeline
The new foundation builds on the work of the Awka Union
USA/Canada International Medical Mission, which for years has provided yearly
medical outreach to residents of the area.
Now, the Agbata family says the gap between those yearly
visits will no longer leave people without support.
Chairman of the occasion, Dr Henry Onwumbiko, described the
initiative as a bridge between annual foreign missions and the everyday health
needs of the community.
He said the programme focuses strongly on chronic conditions
such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke complications and other long-term
illnesses that often go untreated due to cost.
According to him, the outreach provides general
consultations, health checks, maternal and child care, eye screening, essential
drugs and reading glasses for patients in need.
He added that the monthly sessions will hold at Udora
Hospital and Maternity, Ezi Umuanaga Village, Awka, on the last Saturday of
every month from 9am to 5pm.
A Legacy Rooted in Service
At the heart of the initiative is the memory of Professor
Anthony Ikpechukwu Agbata, who played a key role in coordinating the Awka Union
USA/Canada medical missions before his death in 2024.
Dr Onwumbiko said the foundation was created to preserve his
vision of accessible healthcare for ordinary people.
He noted that the initiative is not just about charity, but
about sustained community health support that can reduce preventable deaths.
“Bringing Healthcare Closer to the People”
Speaking at the event, the facilitator of the foundation, Dr
Tochukwu Uyanwune (née Agbata), described the project as a personal and family
commitment to community wellbeing.
She said the goal is simple — to make quality healthcare
available to people without requiring them to travel far or spend beyond their
means.
According to her, the foundation will continue to serve as a
monthly intervention for both young and old residents suffering from chronic
health challenges.
She said the idea came from years of concern about
preventable deaths in the community.
“Many young people are dying from diabetes, hypertension and
stroke because treatment comes too late,” she said.
Doctors on Ground, Care Every
Month
Dr Uyanwune explained that doctors, nurses, pharmacists and
other health volunteers will be present at every outreach.
Beyond treatment, she said the team will also educate
patients on how to manage long-term conditions and live healthier lives.
The programme, she added, is designed to ensure that care
continues regularly until the annual international medical mission returns.
“We want people to keep caring for their health until we come back again,” she said.
A Personal Mission from the
Diaspora
Now part of the 2026 lead medical outreach team, Dr Uyanwune
reflected on her journey from Awka to the diaspora at the age of 14.
She said frequent conversations with her parents about
avoidable deaths in the community pushed her to take action.
Each story of someone lost due to lack of timely medical care, she said, strengthened her resolve to intervene.
Giving Back to the Community
That Raised Them
For her, the foundation is a way of returning kindness to
the community that shaped her upbringing.
She described the initiative as a “widow’s mite”
contribution from the family, aimed at reducing suffering and saving lives.
She also expressed joy that medical professionals from the United States and Canada travelled home to support the outreach.
A New Chapter in Community
Healthcare
As residents left the outreach site with medication, advice
and relief, many said the programme had restored hope where there had been
worry.
With monthly medical care now guaranteed, the Agbata
family’s initiative is quietly becoming a steady lifeline — one that blends
memory, service and healing into a lasting legacy for Awka community.
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