During the Nigerian civil war, St Mary’s Joint Hospital Amaigbo was a rallying point of several medical practitioners returning from other parts of the East faced with significant hostilities. Some of the hospital wards were initially converted to accommodation for these new staff members. Many of them could not be paid, but at least they could work, and sometimes patients’ relatives also brought them food as they fed their relatives.
To manage the huge inflow of patients during the war, make-shift structures were erected and the entire hospital community mobilised to ensure that they provided care for the wounded and the sick. According to living eyewitnesses, the hospital played a critical role during the Nigerian Civil War, caring for the sick and injured, despite relentless bombings. Many war survivors have a story to tell about a visit to St Mary’s Joint Hospital, Amaigbo.
In addition to the sick, a refugee camp was erected and maintained in the hospital premises. It took care of homeless people and orphans who lost their parents. Organisations such as the Red Cross and Caritas ensured that the hospital stayed afloat.
Sadly, despite the incredible services it provided during the war, the end of the war brought great despair as many fleeing soldiers and refugees looted the hospital of its sparce belongings as they returned home. Many buildings were stripped bare, and it took quite a while to reactivate the hospital fully after the war.