By George Best Okoroh
Wealthy Igbo in Nigeria and in Diaspora have been urged to cultivate the habit of investing part of their resources in their homes.
Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Egbu Rt Rev Geoffrey Okorafor who made the clarion call when he inaugurated and dedicated the 50 – bed space expansive Medical City Hospital, Egbu, Owerri, floated by a United States – based Medical Doctor, Dr. Chima Oleru noted that they would by so doing stimulate industrial and economic development of the area, and provide jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the land .
Bishop Okorafor expressed gratitude that Dr. Oleru, in establishing the N1 billion worth of well equipped outfit modeled after what obtains in the United States, has impacted greatly on Egbu community and the Diocese at large,stressing that they were grateful to God that the community and Diocese have some one like Dr Oleru.
The Bishop further observed that Dr Oleru has done what so many wouldn’t have done disclosing that the state of the art equipment in the hospital would meet the yearnings of Nigerians in the areas of kidney treatment, laboratory service, obstetrics and gynaecology, digital x- tray, ultra sound, cardiology, accident and emergency, neurosurgery / neurology, orthopedic / echocardiogram, intensive care / maternity and 24 /7 service.
On its part, the Imo State Government in its determination to ensure adequate health coverage, said it has commenced discussion with well equipped private medical institutions with the view to curing patients with all manner of ailments.
The Governor, Hope Uzodimma, represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Lina Okereke, disclosed this last weekend at the event attended by the immediate past Governor of the state, Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha;some traditional rulers amongst them His Royal Majesty, Eze Mitchell Uchenna Egbukole, among other experts. The Governor said the hospital has been designated a complimentary effort, stressing that it was in tandem with the recently established 27 mobile clinics in the 27 Local Councils in the state, with free diagnosis, tests and drugs.
In his speech, Ihedioha, pointed out that the decision by Dr. Oleru, to set up such a health institution was commendable, describing the institution as one of the best private iniative and encouraged other wealthy imolites to emulate him.
In his brief remarks, the Chairman of Medical City Hospital,Dr Chima Oleru, said he purposely invested about N1 billion in Egbu, Owerri North, to enable the people of the state have access to good medicare, bemoaning the state of healthcare each time he visited relations and friends admitted in hospitals here. He revealed that the over N1 billion project was started in 2018 , some two to three years ago.
According to him, they had ordered and installed Computerised Thermographic Scan (CT), machine for the health services there at a cost of $300,000. ( three hundred thousand dollars )
Five Medical Officers, eight Consultants and other health professionals, he said, have been engaged to handle the facility assuring that though he teaches doctors, he would monitor the operations of the outfit on daily basis from the United States.
Dr John Bosco Iwuagwu id the Acting Medical Director
Dr Oleru who travelled to the United States in 1997 is a world renowned nephrologist. His late mother, Mrs  Mama Grace Oleru was a Registered Nurse.
