Who was Dr. Umanand Prasad

I get asked all the time who my father was. What did he do that impacted your life so much. What values did he give you.

"A father's love for his son is a bond that transcends time, offering wisdom, strength, and unwavering support through every chapter of life. Even when the journey is rocky and turbulent, and regrets of past conflicts linger, the enduring connection remains, becoming a poignant reminder of love and loss after he's gone."

Abel Kalpi Nand Prasad

Dr. Uma prasad, Dr. Umanand Prasad and Mr. Abel Kalpi Nand Prasad - 1990’s - Adelaide, South Australia

Umanand Prasad was born in the largest town Labasa, of second largest island of Fiji, Vanualevu, in 1946.

Dad was educated at St. Mary’s Primary School and shudders to think that without this School’s intervention he may have been illiterate.

Later he studied at Labasa Sangam Primary School, a thatched school built by the Indian Community and run by an efficient head teach D.S. Sologar, who sowed the seeds in him of Teak Tree, to rise high.

He received secondary education at Labasa College and Natabua High School. He later attended Fiji School of Medicine where he was a Gold Medallist and won Indian Council of Cultural Relations Scholarship to further his medicine studies at Grants College, Bombay, where further scholarships were won for Academic Excellence.

He returned to Fiji in 1973 following the death of his father to look after his widowed mother and younger siblings.

He left government services when racial taunts of “Indians go back to India” began.

For a while he practised as a General Practitioner, in Labasa.

In 1975 he was asked by the Australian High Commission in Fiji to work in post ‘Cyclone Tracy’ Darwin. Darwin in 1975 was completely annihilated. Due to housing shortage, few doctors remained to serve the community. This shortage of doctors led to this invitation.

From Darwin dad moved to South Australia where after stints in Surgery, Obstetrics, Forensics Science and teaching Neuroanatomy to third year medical student, he began his generals practice in Salisbury, South Australia.

He later diversified into hotel/motel business and held a Publican’s Licence for almost twenty years.

Dad has been involved in a great variety of Community activities.

Umanand, was the founding member and served on the committee of the Hindu Society of South Australia. This society was instrumental in building its first and only Hindu temple in Adelaide. Being the first, it was appropriately named Ganesha Temple and is perhaps the most beautiful temple in the whole of Australia.

As the President of Indian Australian Association of South Australia, he was responsible for acquiring the Association’s building, known now as, Indian Hall.

He was also the Chairman of the Indian Education Centre Trust.

As the Chairman of Akashwani, the Indian radio hour on 5EBI, dad brought news and entertainment from abroad to the Indian audience in Adelaide.

Following a spate of Coups in Fiji, Umanand has been engaged in highlighting the plight of Indo-Fijians under a racially biased Constitution.

As Chairman of the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in Fiji he worked in close association with Don Dunstan, former charismatic Premier of South Australia.

As President of Asia Pacific Medical Association, Umanand disagreed with the non-transparent method of selecting medical students and helped in the establishment of scholarships and awards for fourth and final year students.

Umanand has been on the Board of Directors of Northern Division of General Practice and played an important role in up-skilling General Practitioners of the area in the deadly disease of diabetes.

Freemasonry taught him to be cautious and Lions Club imparted to him the knowledge of civic duties.

Dad had the ability to adapt to any situation, he gained the support of many influential people.

His final act of service was to provide $1,000,000FJ to help build a Medical University in his name. Dad and I spent almost a year in total watching his vision being built.

The establishment of the Umanand Medical School in Fiji is a credit to Dad and his parents.

The establishment of the medical school with a million dollar donation has proven that access and participation of disadvantaged children who are first in the family to access higher educations has a ‘ripple effect’ to attain education. It also proves to the government that widening the participation of underprivileged children in medical courses contributes to the social and economic development of Fiji.

Without Dad’s donation the following may not have happened:

– The opening of the second medical school in Fiji;

– Increased competitiveness between medical schools to provide quality education;

– Increased participation of underprivileged kids to access medical education which was only enjoyed by medium and high socio economic background families due to the recruitment practices of another medical school;

– Increased choice for students and parents;

– Strengthened focus on contemporary research in health and medicine which was ignored by the established medical school;

– The motivation for children in Arya Samaj and other religious groups to study in a school established on donation and charity;

– The production of the next generation of doctors in Fiji;

– Addressing skills shortage in Fiji and beyond; and

– A medical school established truly for the good of Fiji citizens to improve health service.

In an environment where people are reluctant to assist poor children and close family in accessing tertiary education, dad has set a role model for many in our society by establishing a medical school which will no doubt benefit people and generations to follow.

He has proven that each dollar of donation makes a significant contribution to humanity.

One of the best needs of a human being is a quest of better health which dad has left a legacy for us to remember.