Bayelsa community decries absence of health centre

                                                        Obogolo community

The Obogolo community, Yenagoa Local Government, Bayelsa State, has lamented the absence of health care centres.

The residents claimed that avoidable deaths had become a recurring decimal in the predominantly Ijaw community that has never had a hospital.

In a bid to salvage the situation, the National Association of Sea Dogs in collaboration with the Rural Africa Health Initiative over the weekend, reportedly offered free health services to the community.

Residents were checked on a wide range of ailments including eye diseases, said to be ravaging most elderly people in the community.

A resident, Mrs. Joy Lion, said, “In this community, we have no hospital, no health care centres. Occasionally, health workers come here and use the community town hall. As I speak to you, they have only come once this year.

“We have been crying to the government but no one has responded. We are appealing to the government to come to our aid to avoid recurring deaths in the community. When people take ill, they resort to herbs and other available options which have their limits.”

Though they admitted the neglect had been an age-long thing, they however said the current administration of Seriake Dickson had not done anything significant to ameliorate their predicament.

Another resident and civil servant, Mr. Okitah Ganagana, told , that the community was in a precarious situation.

He said, “The visit of NASD and RAHI is a timely intervention. Right now, the doctors are on strike. Even when they are not on strike, the situation is the same here.

“We do not have any health centres and the town hall, which they use at times, is not functional. When you are ill, you are on your own. Those who can afford it, go to the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa, which is quite some distance from Obogolo.”

As for Mr. Ebimobere Africa, many people in the community die ‘cheaply’ as a result of absence of medical centres.

“My family has resorted to self-medication. If anyone of us is sick, we go to the nearby bush to look for herbs. I do not go to hospital because the place is far and I do not have money to do so,” Africa said.

Speaking on the rationale behind the outreach programme, NASD Area Mate, South-South region, Mr. Emmanuel Dufegha, said they came to the community because they had identified it as one that was lacking medical facility.

Dufegha said, “This community has been identified as lacking medical facilities. Through this outreach, we carry out tests on a wide range of ailments. You know some of these sicknesses, if not quickly identified, could lead to death.

“We take this as routine event and depending on the requirement of the area, we know what to do. Our activities are voluntary and it is self-sponsored.”