As part of their social responsibility, a non-governmental organization, the Lions Club International, District 404A3 has paid ten million naira to offset the medical bills of indigent children who had been discharged medically but detained in the hospital over unpaid bills.

The Guardian gathered that the kids were trapped at Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki before the Lions Club paid ₦1 million to the management of the hospital.

The children, the Club noted where treated for various ailments with bills ranging from ₦13,000 to ₦200,000 and had been stranded in the hospital for between two and six months due to lack of funds.

In a chat with journalists on Saturday in Abakaliki, the District Governor, Lion Mary Onu said that in a move to bring succour to struggling families, the humanitarian group cleared the medical bills of five of the children and extended financial support to five others at the hospital’s children’s ward.

“This is what Lionism represents. Beyond donations, we are committed to giving hope, relief, and support to the less privileged in society. Service must be felt directly by the people and must create a lasting impact within communities,” Onu said.

She listed the organisation’s core focus areas to include healthcare support, childhood cancer advocacy, hunger relief, diabetes awareness, vision care, youth empowerment, environmental sustainability, and disaster response.

Onu noted that the Abakaliki intervention aligns with the charge by Lion Innocent Ogbonna at a stakeholders’ meeting in Asaba, Delta State, urging Lions members across Eastern Nigeria to deepen humanitarian activities and revive the club’s presence in communities where it previously existed.

“This visit reflects our resolve to expand service delivery, strengthen community impact, and revive Lions’ presence across the East,” she added.

The club also reaffirmed its commitment to leadership development and community building by uniting professionals from diverse fields to promote goodwill and collectively tackle societal challenges.

Many of the beneficiaries, drawn from Ebonyi and Cross River states, were patients in the children’s wards who had resigned to fate before the NGO’s intervention.

The mother of one of the beneficiaries, whose daughter was discharged after months of delay, expressed gratitude amid tears.

“I thank Lions Clubs International for paying my daughter’s bill. May God bless them. My daughter and I can now go home after months of abandonment,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of AE-FUTHA, Mr. Oji Uzodinma, on behalf of the hospital management, lauded the club for its kind gesture and called on other well-meaning individuals and groups to support indigent patients in the hospital.