By : Ike Philip Abiagom
Residents of Ebu Kingdom in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State have raised fresh concerns over the deteriorating state of healthcare services in the community, lamenting decades of alleged neglect and abandonment by successive governments.
The agrarian community, which has reportedly suffered from lack of basic infrastructure for more than 30 years, said the situation in the health sector has become alarming, with increasing cases of preventable diseases and avoidable deaths.
Community members disclosed that the only general hospital serving Ebu and surrounding communities has gradually deteriorated from what was once a functional healthcare facility into what they described as a “mere local clinic” due to lack of equipment, drugs, manpower and government attention.
According to residents, the hospital currently operates with only one medical doctor, a development they say is grossly inadequate for a growing population battling different health challenges.
They further lamented that the absence of potable water in the community has exposed residents to waterborne diseases such as cholera and other infections, while poor healthcare facilities continue to worsen the plight of the people.
A community source noted that many residents now depend largely on divine intervention for survival because access to quality healthcare has become almost impossible.
How can a general hospital in a community like Ebu operate with only one doctor? Even when doctors are posted here, many of them are unwilling to stay because the community lacks basic amenities such as electricity, good roads and clean water, the source said.
Residents also alleged that a doctors’ quarters renovation project awarded during the administration of former Governor Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa was abandoned shortly after work commenced.
According to the community, the contractor handling the project allegedly removed roofing materials and wooden structures from the building during an inspection and never returned to complete the work.
The removed zinc and woods have now become another story entirely. Nothing has been done on the project till today, another resident lamented.
The people of Ebu said the community has endured years of hardship and appealed passionately to Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, to urgently intervene and rescue the community from what they described as decades of suffering and neglect.
They stressed that improved healthcare, potable water, electricity and road infrastructure would go a long way in restoring hope and improving the living conditions of residents in the area.