Umahi University Eye Centre Restores Sight to Over 2,400 Patients
By Ugonma Ewa
The David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS), Uburu, has treated more than 2,400 patients and conducted 179 free surgeries in just seven months through its Free Eye Care Initiative.
The programme, domiciled at the Institute for Eye Health and Visual Sciences Research, was launched in February 2025 to provide consultations, medications, eyeglasses, and surgeries at no cost.
Vice Chancellor, Prof. Jesse Uneke, said the initiative reflects the university’s mission of training, research, and community service. “A university must impact its host community before talking about reaching the world,” he noted.
Eye care in Nigeria is often beyond the reach of the poor, with cataract surgery costing as much as ₦800,000 in private hospitals. At DUFUHS, however, beneficiaries like 56-year-old farmer, Mrs. Theresa Idenyi, received life-changing care free of charge.
Statistics show women make up 54 percent of those treated. Prof. Uneke explained that rural women face higher risks of blindness due to smoke exposure from firewood and dust from markets, quarries, and rice mills.
The initiative is sustained by the DUFUHS Health Endowment Fund, with staff voluntarily donating ₦25 million and partners like NNPC sponsoring 80 free surgeries. “This is a model for how Nigeria can tackle preventable blindness,” Prof. Uneke said.
Beyond treatment, the centre also conducts research on common eye diseases and trains medical students, while attracting patients from neighbouring states such as Enugu, Cross River, and Benue.
Prof. Uneke said the Eye Centre is only the beginning, with plans for 16 more specialized centres. “When you restore a woman’s sight, you empower her family and community,” he stressed.
