#22 EARLY EKU HISTORY

AMAZING – On October 1950 – Just one month after Opening Ceremonies – God Brings Eku, the 3rd Doctor to Eku Baptist Hospital – Dr. Paul Cullen, his family – Plus a few weeks later, another nurse, Mary Francis Page, came to help strengthen the hospital staff !!! – Dr. Bill Gaventa was then the Superintendent in charge of the Administration. Because Dr. Paul Cullen also knew much about construction work, he served as the Manager in charge of the Maintenance, to complete the water & electrical systems & also to set up a Laboratory for the Hospital. — All this while Both Doctors were doing Medical work with the multitudes coming in for help ! – Miss Mary Evelyn Fredenburg took care of the Wards & Maternity Clinic & I remember how, even as a child, she let me follow her & my Mother, around in the wards, to help. Miss Page helped in the clinics by taking case histories & referring the patients to the doctors. She also took charge of the early stages of the Pharmacy. There was a man named Johnson Enakerakpo Ukueku, who was a very prestigious Headmaster of a school, who wanted to be Trained as the Hospital Pharmacist. It was very hard for him to leave his job, his family, & all his beloved school children, But God Blessed him through all this, & he became Eku Baptist Hospital’s First Pharmacist. I also remember helping him fill & turn the centrifuges, I help clean some of the lab things – I loved my growing up years among my Urhobo family ! I remember the first time that a Refrigerator was brought to Eku & it was time to take the access ice out & defrost it – Oh what an amazing experience !!! – I put a bucket load of ice to my head and carried it out to the people waiting to see the Doctors – They had Never seen or felt Ice Before & the place went Wild with Joy – what an Amazing experience !!!!!