Hundreds of residents of Umuchima Community and neighbouring villages in Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State were on Wednesday treated to a wave of relief and renewed hope as the Rev. Fr. Theo Okpara Primary Healthcare Foundation conducted its annual free medical outreach.
The outreach, held at the St. Thomas Primary Healthcare Clinic, Umuduruonyiriagha, Umuchima, attracted over 500 beneficiaries and offered a wide range of free health services, including clinical consultations, general counselling, medical tests and treatment for various ailments.
Our correspondent reports that the exercise covered malaria and typhoid treatment, blood pressure checks, eye examinations, and the distribution of free drugs. Beneficiaries with eye-related challenges also received medicated glasses as part of the programme.
The foundation, established by Rev. Fr. Theo Okpara, a United States-based Catholic priest of the Orlu Diocese, has sustained the medical outreach for the past three years as part of his commitment to giving back to his community.
Speaking with journalists at the event, which began with a Holy Mass, Fr. Okpara, who is the President of the Foundation, explained that the initiative was born out of a deep personal passion to address the health challenges facing his people.
“This is a project we started in 2023, and it is driven by my passion to help the people of my community and the surrounding neighbourhoods,” he said.
According to him, his frequent visits home revealed the harsh realities many residents face in accessing healthcare.
“As someone based abroad, whenever I return home, I notice that many people are suffering from different health issues, and in most cases, they have little or no financial capacity to take care of themselves. I kept asking myself what more I could do to assist them,” he added.
Fr. Okpara said this concern led to the establishment of the ten-bed, zero-cost St. Thomas Primary Healthcare Clinic in Umuduruonyiriagha, Umuchima, which has continued to record significant milestones since its inception.
“Since the clinic started operations, we have recorded over 85 per cent successful deliveries, all completely free of charge, to the glory of God,” he disclosed.
He further noted that the facility operates 24 hours daily, with a resident nurse providing primary healthcare services, while complicated cases are referred to higher-level hospitals when necessary.
“Serious cases that are beyond the capacity of the health centre are referred to bigger hospitals. However, the facility has continued to live up to expectations since it was established,” he said.
Highlighting the annual outreach as a core component of the foundation’s activities, Fr. Okpara explained that the programme continues to expand each year to meet growing needs.
“Every year, we organise this medical outreach, and people from Umuchima and its environs come to receive treatment from doctors and nurses, and to have their vital signs properly checked,” he stated.
“Last year, about 445 people benefited from the exercise. From the turnout today, we are attending to even more people because we have added eye care services this year.”
He added that qualified optometrists were on ground to attend to residents with sight-related problems.
“We are doing this to the glory of God and in obedience to Matthew 25:36, which says, ‘I was sick and you visited me,’” he said.
Some beneficiaries, particularly elderly women who spoke to journalists, expressed profound gratitude to God for using Fr. Okpara to address their health challenges. They prayed for God’s continued strength and provision for the priest and the foundation to sustain the initiative.
