Chinua Soludo, son of Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, on Thursday carried out unscheduled visits to hospitals across three local government areas of the state, where he paid the medical bills of several patients as part of activities marking the Christmas season.
The outreach, which covered Anaocha, Idemili South and Aguata LGAs, saw Chinua Soludo extend financial and emotional support to patients receiving treatment in public and mission hospitals, many of whom had been unable to settle their hospital bills.
The visits began at St. Joseph Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu, in Anaocha Local Government Area, where Soludo cleared outstanding medical bills for several patients. In addition to settling the debts, he also provided transportation fares to enable beneficiaries return home safely to celebrate Christmas with their families.
From Adazi-Nnukwu, the outreach moved to Nnobi General Hospital in Idemili South LGA and later to Ekwulobia General Hospital in Aguata LGA. The gesture left many beneficiaries visibly emotional, with scenes of gratitude and tears of joy recorded during the visits.
Speaking during the outreach, Chinua Soludo called for increased love, kindness and improved welfare for the less-privileged and vulnerable in society, especially during the festive season.
He described Christmas as a period meant for spreading joy and compassion, particularly to those confined to hospital beds and facing financial hardship.
“Christmas is a time to generate happiness and spread love, especially to the less-privileged and those in hospitals who need help,” he said.
“For me, Christmas means reaching out to the needy, the less-privileged, motherless and abandoned children. They deserve care and special expressions of love so they can also partake in the celebrations.”
At St. Joseph Hospital alone, more than five patients benefited from the intervention. In one notable case, a patient who had been detained after discharge due to an unpaid bill of ₦933,500 had her debt fully cleared and was also assisted with transport fare back home.
At Nnobi General Hospital, a patient treated for acute malaria, with a bill exceeding ₦120,000, also had the bill settled, allowing the patient to reunite with family for Christmas.
In Ekwulobia, nearly 10 women at the Ekwulobia General Hospital benefited from the outreach, receiving assistance with both medical bills and transportation costs.
Soludo said the gesture was aimed at reassuring vulnerable Nigerians that they have not been forgotten and that society still cares about their wellbeing.
“I am very happy spending this time with them. It reassures them that society has not neglected them and that their future is bright. We must always show love and concern for their welfare,” he added.
This is not the first time Chinua Soludo has embarked on such an initiative. Around the same period last year, he carried out a similar Christmas outreach at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital, Awka, where he cleared the hospital bills of dozens of patients.
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