Despite Rain,Over 200 Turn Out for Free Cancer Screening at COOUTH on Day One
More than 200 people turned out on Monday for the first day of a one-week free cancer screening programme at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku, Awka.
The Chief Medical Director of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Amaku, Awka, Dr. Maureen Uche Umeakuewulu
The programme offers free cervical cancer screening (Pap smear), mammography for early breast cancer detection, and prostate cancer screening.
It will run from Monday, July 27, to Friday, July 31, 2026.
The initiative was organized to commemorate the birthdays of the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo and his wife, Dr. Mrs. Nonye Soludo, whose birthdays fall on July 28 and July 31, 2026, respectively.
When our reporter visited the screening centres at the Departments of Radiography and Obstetrics and Gynaecology at about 1:30 p.m., more than 54 men had already been screened for prostate cancer, while over 88 women had undergone cervical cancer screening and mammography for breast cancer detection.
Hospital officials said attendance continued to increase as more people arrived throughout the day, bringing the total number of participants to well over 200.
The large turnout indicated that many Anambra residents braved the early morning rain to take advantage of the free medical services.
One of the women who underwent cervical cancer screening and mammography, and who requested anonymity, described the programme as a rare opportunity to know her health status.
“I have always wanted to undergo cervical cancer screening and a mammogram, but I could not afford the cost. When I heard about this free programme, I knew I could not miss the opportunity. God has made it possible for me today,” she said.
She described the initiative as one of the greatest health interventions for women in Anambra State in recent times and urged other women, especially those who could not afford the tests, to take advantage of the free screening.
Similarly, one of the male beneficiaries, Mr. Peter Okechukwu, said he was happy to have undergone prostate cancer screening and was awaiting his results.
According to him, if people had the financial resources, they would not have to wait for free medical outreach programmes before seeking cancer screening.
He noted that many men desired to undergo prostate cancer screening but were discouraged by the cost.
He commended the Chief Medical Director of COOUTH, Amaku, Awka, for initiating the programme.
Speaking with journalists during the exercise, the Chief Medical Director of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku, Awka, Dr. Maureen Uche Umeakuewulu, expressed delight over the impressive turnout.
According to her, the response was remarkable despite the heavy rainfall in the morning.
“This morning, when I visited the screening centres, I was surprised to see that they were already filled with people despite the heavy rainfall. What I saw exceeded our projections. We had expected to screen about 500 people over the five-day programme, but the turnout on the first day alone has been overwhelming,” she said.
She disclosed that, following the unexpectedly high turnout, additional members of staff were deployed to the screening centres to cope with the increasing number of participants.
The CMD further revealed that the hospital had ordered additional screening films, reagents, and other consumables to ensure the exercise continued without interruption.
“In fact, this exercise is giving us a clearer picture of what is happening in the health sector. We often say that men do not like going to the hospital or taking care of their health, and the same is sometimes said about women because they are always busy trying to make a living. However, we must also consider the financial burden involved.
“We intend to collect and analyze data from this exercise to help us develop policy recommendations on the health needs of our people. Our objective is not only to screen participants but also to generate evidence that will enable us to collaborate with relevant government agencies and other stakeholders to improve healthcare delivery.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that the cost of healthcare is a major barrier preventing many people from seeking medical attention. Otherwise, how do you explain the fact that despite the heavy rainfall, people still came out in large numbers? Their enthusiasm shows they value their health, but financial constraints have prevented many of them from accessing cervical cancer screening, breast cancer screening, and prostate cancer screening.”she said.
Dr. Umeakuewulu explained that the free screening programme was organized to celebrate Governor Soludo’s birthday on July 28 and that of his wife, Dr. Mrs. Nonye Soludo, on July 31.
According to her, it was the hospital’s modest way of appreciating the governor and his wife for their contributions to the healthcare sector in Anambra State.
She commended Governor Soludo and his wife for their commitment to improving healthcare delivery, particularly the completion of the Solution Trauma Centre at COOUTH.
Dr. Umeakuewulu further disclosed that the Solution Trauma Centre is currently the only trauma centre of its kind in the South-East geopolitical zone and noted that she was not aware of any similar facility in the South-South region.
“My management informed me that the governor and his wife would be celebrating their birthdays and suggested placing congratulatory advertisements in the media. After considering the cost, I proposed that we should instead invest the money in providing free cervical cancer screening, breast cancer screening, mammography, and prostate cancer screening for our people.
“I told them that this would make a greater impact because the governor’s wife has continued to touch lives through her Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo initiative, while the governor has made significant investments in the state’s healthcare sector. Many ministries, agencies, and parastatals can place newspaper advertisements or air congratulatory jingles, but we believed that offering free healthcare services would be a more meaningful way of celebrating them.
“I am convinced that the governor and his wife will appreciate this initiative more than any advertisement because it directly benefits the people and aligns with their vision of improving healthcare in Anambra State,” she said.
