By Tom Moses

EKET—INHAIBITANTS of Nduo-Eduo community, Eket Local Government Area, Akwa-Ibom State, have commen-ded the chairman of the area, Mr. Aniekan Akpan, for establishing a multi-purpose 50-bed capacity Cottage Hospital in the town. Niger Delta Voice gathered that the hospital, which is 95 per cent completed, will undertake the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of children-related ailments, women and adults health challenges.

It was gathered that the community recorded high incidences of avoidable casualties in the course of emergencies which is why members of Nduo-Eduo see the establishment of the hospital as a welcome development. Mrs. Hannah Okon Bernard said until the establishment of the hospital whose date of commissioning is not yet fixed, the impression was that the community is not a part of Akwa-Ibom State.

Aside from one major road linking the community with other villages constructed during the military era, the community has not had any other government presence. According to her, the few amenities in the community were put in place through community efforts. An elder in the community, Chief Akaiso Idung, who corroborated Mrs Bernard’s claim, lamented that in spite of the mineral endowments in the area, development was far from the people and extolled Akpan for remembering them in his projects prioritization.

Speaking to Niger-Delta Voice, Mr. Akpan asserted, “Nduo-Eduo is quite a large community, so peradventure, if anyone has a health concern, before he or she is rushed out of the community, misfortune could occur. So, I felt I should do something in that direction to touch lives by the provision of the health facility.”