No fewer than 25 U.S.-based Nigerian doctors are set to arrive Abia State for a five-day medical outreach offering free surgeries and consultations to residents.
The initiative, tagged Abia ANPA Medical Mission 2026, is a collaboration between the Abia State Government and the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas, and will run from April 13 to 17.
State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, disclosed this at a press briefing in Umuahia on Friday, stating that the programme aims to deliver at least 1,500 medical consultations and up to 100 surgeries within the period.
According to him, the intervention was initiated by Governor Alex Otti following the success of a similar outreach conducted in 2024.
“This will be a high-impact, intensive operation, and we are fully prepared to deliver within the timeframe,” Uche said.
The medical team will operate from two major centres Aba General Hospital and the Abia State Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre in Umuahia. Eye surgeries are scheduled to take place in Umuahia, while general surgeries will be handled in Aba.
In addition to surgical procedures, the mission will provide sexual and reproductive health education, train 80 healthcare workers in basic life support, and promote skills transfer between diaspora professionals and local medical personnel.
Uche also revealed that the state has launched a rural emergency medical services scheme, with ambulances deployed to selected local government areas under the Federal Government’s Maternal Mortality Reduction programme.
Speaking on preparations, Director General of ABSACA, Uloaku Ukaegbu, said arrangements are in full swing, including free pre-surgery screenings and adequate blood supply.
She added that young people and students will benefit from targeted health education and access to preventive healthcare materials.
The medical mission is scheduled to officially commence on April 14 at the Michael Okpara Auditorium in Umuahia.
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