Press Releases

Report All Cases Of Renal Failure - LASG
• Gives recipe for preventing fire outbreaks

Nov 26, 2008 - Lagos State Government on Wednesday appealed to parents with children who are showing any sign of inability to pass urine and or puffiness of the face to immediately take such children to hospital for proper medical attention.

The State also enjoined members of the public to always be vigilant and take appropriate steps at all times to prevent avoidable fire outbreaks.

This appeal was jointly made by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Opeyemi Bamidele and his Health Commissioner counterpart, Dr Jide Idris at a press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa.

The press conference was organized to address some issues on the confirmed death of 29 kids in the state in the last one week due to acute renal failure caused by suspected teething syrup or paracetamol overdose or poisoning and to sensitize the people for the approaching harmattan and dry season.

According to Dr Idris, all cases of acute renal failure in public and private hospitals should be reported to the Disease Control Directorate of the State Ministry of Health while mothers should avoid giving their children drugs unless as prescribed by qualified health personnel.

The Health Commissioner added that the power to regulate the production and distribution of finished drugs lies with National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration Control (NAFDAC), saying the agency has already identified the source of the killer drug and has shut it down.

He added that Lagos State on its part is carrying out surveillance activities while it is also carrying out education of care givers on possible causes and preventive measures of the renal failure in children which has been reported in children aged between six months and eight years.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Opeyemi Bamidele told the citizenry that it is always safer, cheaper and better to prevent fire disasters rather than responding no matter how efficiently after the damage has been done.

Mr Bamidele reiterated that the administration has invested heavily in re-branding, re-positioning and re-equipping of the Lagos State Fire Service for more efficient and effective service delivery to the people because of the realization of the serious menace that fire can cause.

The Information Commissioner listed some of the measures already taken to strengthen the fire service to include the procurement of 60 new fire fighting vehicles and ten new water tankers to aid fire fighting particularly in high rise buildings.

He informed that the state has also recruited and trained 250 new fire officers to strengthen the operational capacity of the service as well as the construction of new fire service stations in Eti Osa, Lagos Island East, Apapa, Iganmu, Ojo, Oriade, Alimosho, Ikotun- Igando.

Mr Opeyemi implored the public to restrain from deliberate and illegal burning of bush and refuse dumps, indiscriminate storage of petroleum products in residential and unauthorized places as well careless handling of electrical gadgets.

Similarly, he also advised parents to adequately caution their wards against the use of fireworks during and after the festivities as they constitute serious dangers to public safety and a leading cause of fire outbreaks.

The Commissioner informed that to prevent incidents of pipeline explosion during the yuletide season, the state is collaborating with the federal agencies under whose purview petroleum pipelines is and also sensitize community development associations and community leaders on need to monitor the pipelines.

On the issue of possible extinction of some coastal towns in fifty years time, Mr Bamidele said Lagos is already protecting the shoreline and the sea bed and has also embarked upon tree planting to protect the environment.

While responding to a question on the threat of strike by resident doctors at LASUTH, Dr Idris said the state believes in dialogue and that the new board of LASU is billed to meet the doctors today on ways of resolving the grey issues.

While wishing all Lagosians a safe and happy Sallah and Xmas celebrations, Mr Opeyemi Bamidele asked members of the public to always reach numbers 767, 01-7280500, 01-7280501, 017280502, 01-7280503 and 08033235891 in case of any distress or emergency.

Others present at the press conference were Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Segun Ayobolu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Remi Desalu, Perm Sec Ministry of Home Affairs, Mrs Caroline Bello- Aromire, Director Fire and Safety Service Mr Aderemi Ajose, SSA on Media to the Governor, Mr Hakeem Bello and other directors of the briefing ministries and agencies.