Residents of a neglected Nassarawa/Bakoko community in the suburb of Calabar, Cross River State, currently rely on free services offered by philanthropists to get medical attention.
The residents expressed their minds during a free health service provided by members of the National Association of Seadogs (Jokaina Deck) in Calabar.
Apart from the terrible state of the 10-kilometre Ekabo Road that leads to Ikot-Ekpo, Nassarawa and Bakoko communities in Calabar Municipality Local Government Area of the state, the near absence of public schools, pipe-borne water and health care delivery services, had made the residents to draw conclusions that government was not interested in their welfare.
PUNCH Metro had in June 2012 reported the poor state of the only road leading to the areas that host about 300,000 people.
However, when the Jokaina Deck of NAS carried out free medical test and treatment of sundry health inhibitors to children, mothers, pregnant women and elders of the community, residents said they now rely on free services for medical attention.
Women Leader of Nassarawa/Bakoko community, Mrs. Aishatu Bulema, noted that there had been so many avoidable deaths as a result of lack of health care delivery services in the area.
She said, "The long distance between the community and the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and the General Hospital in Calabar has resulted in avoidable deaths as emergency cases involving the people of the community especially in the nights are usually difficult to handle."
Bulema commended NAS for coming to the rescue of the community by providing free medical services and dispensing drugs to the people based on individual health problems.
Bulema noted that the only time they had access to medical attention was when organisations or individuals came to their aid.
"The only time we had medical services was when NYSC doctors came to test our people of their ailment. That was just skeletal because they only tested people but did not administer drugs as NAS doctors are doing here today.
"Apart from non-availability of health care facilities in this community, there is no good access road network and electricity infrastructure. We want to use this opportunity to implore the Cross River State Government to come to the aid of the community by establishing at least, a clinic in the community," she said.
President of the Jokaina Deck of NAS, Dr. Ofem Enang, said the association decided to take the medical services to the Nassarawa/Bakoko Community as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility programme after an earlier visit to assess their needs.
He said, "Jokaina Deck, that is the Calabar chapter of NAS decided to come to this community because even though the people here are so close to Calabar-Municipality, you can attest to the fact that they are under-served, health-wise.
"However, ours is not to apportion blame to anybody, ours is just to do our own bid in a very quiet manner and be sure that what we are doing is between us and God and that what we do touches lives positively."
