By Sunday Ani and Sam-Loco Smith
Dr. Uma Ukpai, the Founder and President of the Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association, a non-denominational Christian ministry, based in Uyo, South-South Nigeria, is not only a gospel preacher, he is also a great philanthropist, who has touched people’s lives in many aspects.
Apart from his religious teachings which have touched and saved millions of souls, his educational scholarship, empowerment and wealth creation among other social interventions, he has also impacted tremendously on the health of the needy and less privileged in Nigeria.
His charity works in the area of free medical outreach for the poor, saw him establish the King of Kings’ Specialist Hospital, Asaga Ohafia, Abia State, Southeast Nigeria.
The hospital, which came into existence in 1999 with its full operation in July 2000, is a medical arm of the Uma Ukpai Evangelical Association.
According to the Chief Medical Director (CMD), King of Kings’ Specialist Hospital, Dr Idika Otunwa, the hospital, located in Rev Ukpai’s home town, Asaga Ohafia, is a 20, 50, 100 bedded institution that offers 24 hours services in internal medical conditions, general surgeries, ophthalmologic/optometric services, laboratory, radiology, obstetrics and gynaecology services.
The hospital, whose motto is, “We care but God heals,” according to the CMD, boasts of dedicated consultant ophthalmologist; optometrists, medical officers, a pharmacist, laboratory scientist/technician, certified nurses and nursing assistants that attend to the medial needs of the people.
Dr Ukpai, realising the importance of sight to humanity and equally coming to terms with the reality that eye problem is one of the health challenge of many people and that many had gone totally blind because they did not have access to medical eye services, he added to the specialist hospital, Uma Ukpai Eye Centre. It was also established in Asaga Ohafia, Abia State Nigeria, where scores of Nigerians have had their sight restored at little or no cost.
Established for clinical, surgical and optical services, in February 2, 2016, the Eye Centre was purposefully and strategically designed to serve a cluster of rural communities, who hitherto, wouldn’t have had access to affordable quality eye care services.
The eye centre serves six local government areas of three neighboring states, with an estimate of about 80 to 120 rural communities. It is the Ophthalmology Department of the King of Kings’ Specialist Hospital, Asaga Ohafia.
From inception, the Eye Centre was built to deliver quality, accessible, available, and affordable eye care services. The mandate gave zero tolerance for error and zero margins for mistakes and complications, bearing in mind the area of practice. The Eye Centre was equipped with infrastructure that will and has become a centre for community ophthalmology training for other higher institutions.
However, to offer the greatest of eye care services to Nigerians, in 2021, Rev Ukpai and his wife upgraded the Eye Center to have the capacity for Phacoemulsification Cataract Surgery Services, which some people refer to as “Laser Cataract Surgery.” So, a total of 529 persons over a period of eight years spanning 2016 to 2024, have received free eye services from the Centre.
The Centre’s Consultant Ophthalmologist & Phaco Surgeon, Dr Anya Kalu, acknowledged that the Uma Ukpai Eye Centre, Asaga Ohafia, is probably the third Centre that has the capacity for regular Phacoemulsification Cataract Surgery in Abia State, and one of the few in Nigeria that is located in a rural community.
He thanked Rev and Mrs Ukpai, for upgrading the Eye Centre. “It’s easy to wave it off as a rural eye centre, but apparently, we are no longer ‘rural’ as it were. We have instruments that most teaching hospitals in Nigeria do not have,” he said.
Dr Ukpai’s charity knows no bounds and it cuts across ethnicity, religion, and language. He once said: “Worship that does not involve helping the poor is a waste of time. When you give to the poor, your light begins to shine. Every poor person you see around is a gateway to financial blessings and relevance.”
His philanthropy aligns with his popular belief: “A river that does not flow out cannot produce good water. A giver will always find favour with God and man.”
He attributed his philanthropic spirit to his experience as a young child. He said his growing up contributed a great deal into shaping him to a great philanthropist that he has become. “I know what it means to lose a father and be a father from that age. I know what it is to save money to pay school fees. So, I have feelings for the poor. I learnt early enough to know that the stone Satan throws at you can become a stepping stone,” he stated.