Dear Rev. Monsignor/Father/Faithful
St. Joseph’s Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu, is partnering with Mega Lifesciences Nigeria Limited to bring to our people a Wellness Program. This program will focus on Hepatitis. My involvement in hospital ministry has widened my appreciation of the suffering of our people. It has been a life-changing experience. I have painfully realized that most priests who are well, have no idea of what so many of their parishioners are who are sick and poor are going through in trying to manage their health. As a result, they allow opportunities that could help our poor and sick parishioners pass unattended. They trivialize or ignore announcement of events meant to help their people. The events require little or no personal sacrifice from the priest.
My hope is that this letter of invitation will receive a better treatment. Please do not fail to announce this to your people. Many of them need the information that will be given and the test that will be conducted at this celebration. There two announcements here:
The World Health Organization has declared July 28 of every year World Hepatitis Day. This year; St. Joseph’s Hospital is partnering with Mega LifeSciences Nigeria Limited to bring the Celebration home to our people. The date for this local celebration is on Tuesday, August 6, 2019. The Venue of the celebration is St. Joseph’s Hospital Adazi-Nnukwu. The time is 10:00 a.m. The following shall be the main components of the celebration:
1. Awareness March: People shall be encouraged to gather in their churches and march with placards to the venue of the celebration. The placards shall bear things like: Freedom from Hepatitis. Do away with Hepatitis. Support the effort to get rid of Hepatitis, etc.
2. An awareness talk on HEPATITIS. (Hepatitis is a killer disease. Some strands of it can be transmitted from one person to another. Prevention is its best cure. Early detection can prevent much damage. Hepatitis virus attacks the liver which is a vital organ in human beings. It can be debilitating in its effect on human health, inflicting untold suffering not only on the sufferer but also his/her family, and putting at risk, even professional healthcare givers.)
3. Screening for Hepatitis B shall be given free to those who want it. (Screening for Hepatitis B is the first and essential stage in the process of cure. Early detection can save lives.)
4. T-shirts shall be given free to the participants in the medical team.
5. Patient education leaflets shall also be given free to all who can benefit from it.
NB: Attendants are expected to be seated latest 9:45 a.m. Those who want to be part of the medical team are invited to register at the office of the Administrator of St. Joseph’s Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu on or before August 3, 2019.
** The Administration of St Joseph’s Hospital has also decided to invite Awka Diocesan Ahuike Health Agency (ADAHA) to the occasion. A lot of our people are not able to pay their hospital bills and remain in the hospital for a long time after discharge for lack of help. The Bishop of Awka, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, has decided to address and bring solution to this problem. He has established Ahuike Health Agency for this purpose. The access of the benefits of its package requires a person to pay an annual premium of N 12,000.00. Sickness is unpredictable. No one should say that he is well and has no need of healthcare coverage.
Anyone can become sick at any time. You will be doing yourself or family a great service, if you can exploit this opportunity. A team of Ahuike Healthcare Agency will be on ground to explain how the program works and possibly register those who want to do so. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and get answers for anything not clear to you about this healthcare coverage. You may then continue registration in your parishes. Please help our people by giving this program the widest publicity.
NB. Please, if there, is anything you do not understand; call me at 08137820828 for more information.
God bless.
Devotedly yours in Christ
Fr. Jerome N. Okafor
