Check out the oldest Mission Hospital (Photos)

Iyienu Mission Hospital and Health Care Foundation

Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital since inception has been at the fore-front of missions, preaching and healings through tending the sick, the suffering and the dying. It will be recalled that the Rev. Henry Dobinson and Rev. F.N. Eden under the Church Missionary Society's (C.M.S) medical mission initiated what is today called "Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital" when they saw the need to reach the people with medical services on their arrival at Ozalla, Onitsha in 1890. 

The Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital of today started as a dispensary in a somewhat dilapidated mud building in the old C.M.S. compound which was originally built by the first Bishop of the Niger Territory - the Rt. Rev Samuel Ajai Crowther - who also lived there.

Other missionaries that came later include:

* Miss Taylor (a nurse) - 1893

* Miss Maxwell (a nurse)

* Dr. Clayton

* Miss Mary Elms

* Miss Edith Warner

* Dr. & Mrs. A.E. Bruit – arrived in 1907

* Dr. R.Y. Stones (a surgeon)

* Miss K. Beswick (a nurse)

* Miss Cooper (a nurse) - arrived 1914

* Miss Janet M. Lake (a matron)

* Miss Ida Hill - arrived 1923

* Miss Dorothy Jewitt arrived in 1924

* Dr. Sybil Bartley (a woman) - joined 1926

* Dr. Jessy Horn (a woman) - arrived 1929

The above-listed names were some of the missionaries from England who worked relentlessly in bringing Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital to its present location in 1907.

In 1913, the foundation stone of the new Dispensary block, in memory of the Late Ven. Henry Dobinson (the leader of the team), was laid by the Governor-General designate to Nigeria, Sir Frederick Lord Lugard. The late Dobinson died suddenly of dysentery while on a pastoral visit to Asaba.

Worthy of note is that Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital is divinely instituted upon the Rock (Jesus Christ), hence the Lord has been so gracious to us in spite of the numerous challenges that have been encountered. As at the period under review, patients that were accessing healthcare services at Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital came all the way from Ogidi, Nkpor, Oze, Umuoji, Obosi, Awka, Nnewi, Nsukka, Okigwe, Egbu, Ubulukwu, Agbor, Ekpoma, Oleh, Ugheli, Ida, among others.

The hospital also embarked on the training of local staff and in 1930-1931, Iyi-Enu School of Nursing and Midwifery started in earnest after obtaining approval from the government. These schools are still running till date.