On a mission | Tidelands Health physician provides needed care in remote Nigerian village

March 11, 2025 

Contact: Dawn Bryant 

Tidelands Health  
(843) 652-1636 

dbryant@tidelandshealth.org 

News for Immediate Release: 

On a mission | Tidelands Health physician provides needed care in remote Nigerian village  

People living in a remote, impoverished village in Nigeria receive needed health care services annually thanks to the dedicated efforts of a Tidelands Health physician. 

Every year, Dr. John Ijem organizes a daylong clinic in Amaigbo Edda offering free care to hundreds of patients who wouldn’t otherwise have access to needed medications and professional medical services.  

During his most recent trip, 450 patients received care for a variety of conditions, including malaria, hypertension, sickle cell anemia, degenerative osteoarthritis, upper respiratory infections, gastrointestinal problems and more. In addition to the medical care, patients were served meals and drinks – a luxury in an area overwhelmed with malnutrition. 

“It’s just pitiful, and it doesn’t appear to be changing,” said Dr. Ijem, who has offered the annual clinic since 2009. “I know I’m making a real impact. This is the only medical care they get year in and year out.” 

Inspired to help 

A Nigerian native, Dr. Ijem left the country in his early 20s looking for ways to better himself. He eventually earned his medical degree and completed a residency and fellowship at University of Nebraska Medical Center. 

Along the way, he earned a scholarship to participate in a medical mission at a hospital in Kenya, an experience that planted the seed for his idea to begin offering medical clinics in his native Nigeria. 

“This looks like my parents’ village in Nigeria. Maybe I could do something to help them,” Dr. Ijem recalled thinking at the time. “Now, I’ve gone back for the clinic in my parents’ village every year.” 

Dr. Ijem, a cardiologist who joined Tidelands Health in 2002, created Healthcare Educational Liaison Project, or HELP, a nonprofit with a mission to empower people toward a healthy life through education and care. The annual clinic in the Nigerian village is the group’s biggest outreach. 

Dr. Ijem organizes a team to provide care and support services at the clinic and buys basic medications to distribute and stock the village pharmacy. HELP partnered with the nearby David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, lab technicians, two optometrists, security personnel and others. 

“We also hired four local chefs who cooked and served the food to the patients, who were very happy and pleased and satisfied,” Dr. Ijem said. 

The free clinic has become a tradition that many in the village anticipate. Many return each year, not only to receive care but to thank Dr. Ijem for helping them. Patients range in age from 3 months to 85 years old. 

“They all expressed gratitude for the free care and meals that we provided for them,” Dr. Ijem said. “That is the motivation for me. Money cannot buy the feeling I get offering these things. People smile at me and offer to pray for me – it’s rewarding. That’s why I keep doing it.” 

After the free clinic day, leftover medications are stocked in the village pharmacy serving indigent residents. HELP also has expanded services by bringing eye doctors on board and through the addition of the HELP diagnostic center, where a local community health nurse hired by HELP will continue to see patients and provide medication to those who otherwise couldn’t afford it. 

Moving forward 

Dr. Ijem is always looking for ways to do more. He advocates for better road access so care can reach remote villages. He’s researching ways to provide portable pipe-borne water to the villagers and opening a small health clinic for minor surgical operations for conditions such as hernia repair, wound suturing and cleaning for infection-related problems. 

“Several challenges still remain, including lack of portable pipe-borne drinking water and poor sanitation. There is no infrastructure as there is no electricity,” Dr. Ijem said. “These are challenges that the villages face day in and day out. 

“They can’t go anywhere else. Most times, these patients are turned back because they cannot afford to pay,” Dr. Ijem said. “I’m looking forward to the future and to projects to have an even greater impact.” 

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About Tidelands Health 

Tidelands Health, in collaboration with MUSC Health, is the region’s largest health care provider, serving the Carolinas at four hospitals and more than 70 outpatient locations. More than 2,500 employee, physician and volunteer partners work side by side with our communities to transform the health of our region – promoting wellness, preventing illness, encouraging recovery and restoring health.