There are heroes and there are heroes. Whatever the defining criteria or dividing line is, Dr. Christian Isichei undoubtedly falls in the superior category of heroes. The name might not be the most popular, but the impact of the man is of gigantic proportion and the intent of the man’s heart are of magnanimous dimensions. Christian Ogoegbunem Isichei is Founder and Coordinator of Faith Alive Foundation-Nigeria in Jos, Nigeria. A man and an organization that have every attribute of heroes and undertakes every action of heroes.
Dr. Christian Isichei and Faith Alive Foundation-Nigeria
From the beginning, Dr. Isichei’s desire has been that the people of Nigeria and beyond will enjoy excellent Maternal and Child Care services as well as diagnostics. But this great vision didn’t just surface overnight to a full ‘grown’ baby; it came with the slogan, ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step’. From tender little steps to the quantum leaps that have been made over the years.
In 1996, Dr. Chris returned from the Fogarty grant at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque to his home in Jos with a vision to drastically improve healthcare and Social Services for the underprivileged in his country following the shocking difference he noted between developing countries like Nigeria and developed countries like USA. This was the motivation to start Faith Alive Foundation.
The Faith Alive Foundation began directly outside of a Jos marketplace in 1996 when a physician, Dr. Chris Isichei, sat behind a table and began offering free medical advice each day after work. Dr. Chris quickly became known for his devotion and skill, and his practice soon outgrew his table. Beginning with only $330 to his name, he soon was able to start building a small free clinic. With a dedicated staff and the help of donors, the clinic has since grown into a three-story building, a fully free hospital that boasts of two satellite locations. It serves tens of thousands of patients per year and employs dozens of full and part-time staff.
Faith Alive Foundation: Keeping Faith Alive for a Nation
While Faith Alive has become a full-scale hospital that offers free medical services ranging from HIV testing to surgical oncology, the organization has maintained its focus on meeting the holistic needs of the person. Patients needing vocational training attend sewing, knitting, hair-braiding, arts and crafts, or computer skills-building schools offered by the centre. Patients without a home are provided with transitional housing. Dr. Isichei does not take a salary from the hospital, and other staff members often donate much of their pay. The hospital currently runs on donations supplied by these staff members, patients and outside donors.
Dr. Christian Isichei: Qualified to Play the Role
Dr. Isichei holds a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery degree, Master of Science degree in Clinical Biochemistry/Chemical Pathology from the University of Jos and a Fellowship in Chemical Pathology from the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. In addition to his work at Faith Alive, He lectures at the Jos University Teaching hospital, where he teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students/residents as Professor of Chemical Pathology at the University of Jos and Jos University Teaching Hospital. He served as an appointee of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the Medical and Dental Council Board of Nigeria from November 2013 to August 2014. He is an External Examiner to the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and some Medical schools in Nigeria. He is currently the Head of Department of Chemical Pathology of both the University of Jos and Jos University Teaching Hospital.
His surgeon wife, Dr. Mercy Wakili Isichei is an Associate Professor of Surgery and volunteers her surgical expertise at Faith Alive. In addition to working as a Lecturer, she is a Consultant General Surgeon/Surgical Oncologist at the University of Jos and Jos University Teaching Hospital as well as at Bingham University, Karu-Abuja-Jos. The Family also runs EPJ Gymn and Physical Therapy Center as well as Gwash-EPJ Specialist Hospital in Jos. They have three lovely children–Emily, Prince and Joseph
Sources:
Faith Aive Nigeria
Hope For West Africa
Featured Image Source: Haggai International