The National Association of Seadogs has offered free medical treatment to residents of Afaha Atai community in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
The association also rehabilitated an abandoned solar-powered borehole in the area to provide safe drinking water and improve public health conditions
The outreach underscores the association’s long-standing commitment to humanitarian service, public health promotion, and community development, especially in underserved rural communities across Nigeria.
Speaking during the commissioning of the borehole on Saturday, the NAS Cap’n and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Joseph Oteri, said the intervention formed part of the association’s activities marking its quarterly meeting in the state.
He explained that the borehole project and medical outreach were designed to tackle the community’s long-standing problem of unsafe water and recurring waterborne diseases.
“Each of our quarterly meetings is an opportunity to touch humanity in a tangible way. We usually select communities for a scoping mission to assess disease prevalence and population, which helps us determine the quantity of drugs to purchase and the number of medical personnel to engage.
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“The decision to bring the outreach and commission the borehole stemmed from the prevalence of waterborne diseases in the community,” Oteri said.
Oteri noted that Seadogs medical missions, which began in 2011, have recorded a significant impact across several states, with many beneficiaries sharing testimonials on the association’s website.
Also speaking, Medical Mate of Sancta Riviera Deck, a chapter of NAS, Dr Eshiet Ekanem, said a detailed scoping mission was conducted in Afaha Atai and neighboring communities—Afaha Etim and Mbietebe—to determine their healthcare needs before the outreach.
He said the outreach was designed to cater for between 2,000 and 3,000 residents, treating illnesses such as malaria, typhoid, skin infections, and age-related diseases.
“Our findings showed that water scarcity has contributed to an increase in waterborne diseases. We came with full medical supplies to treat malaria, typhoid, and scabies. We also discovered that about 35 per cent of residents are elderly, with nearly one-third aged 70 and above, so we made provisions for arthritis, poor vision, and other age-related conditions, ” Ekanem said
Ekanem added that optometrists were part of the medical team to conduct eye and vision tests, while severe cases were referred to designated health facilities approved by the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health.
He said the Village Head had informed the team that over 9,000 people might turn up for the outreach, prompting them to prepare for up to 3,000 beneficiaries.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, Evang. Edidiong Inyang, commended NAS for the humanitarian gesture, describing it as a lifeline for residents who lack access to basic healthcare.
Commissioning the rehabilitated borehole, Inyang said the facility had been abandoned for years, forcing residents to rely on unsafe water sources.
“This borehole has been abandoned for a long time, and its restoration today brings immense relief not only to Afaha Atai but also to neighbouring villages,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr Edet Edem, expressed gratitude for the medical assistance, saying the free treatment and drugs had brought him relief.
“I am very happy because I could not afford hospital treatment. The Seadogs have brought healing and hope to us,” he said.
Another beneficiary, Mrs Ekaette Udo, a 65-year-old widow, said the outreach was a blessing to many who had been suffering silently due to poverty and lack of healthcare access.
“For many years, I have struggled with arthritis and poor eyesight, but I couldn’t afford hospital visits or drugs. Today, doctors have attended to me, given me eye drops, and medicine for my joint pains. I thank the Seadogs for remembering people like us,” she said, visibly emotional.
Similarly, on Thursday, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria provided three boreholes to its host Ogbe community in Benin, the Edo State capital.
The inauguration of the boreholes in each of the Ogbe communities on Thursday was performed by the Benin Airport Manager, Mr. Felix Akinbinu, accompanied by the management staff.
Akinbinu stated that the gesture demonstrates FAAN’s commitment to supporting the well-being of its host communities, noting that the idea behind the gesture is to promote a cordial relationship between FAAN and the communities.
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