Press Releases

LASG Discovers Illegal Tomato Paste Recanning Factory, Arrests 2

Dec 4, 2008 - Even as the killer teething powder, MyPikin, still ravages the states across the country, the Lagos State Government has discovered another illegal factory repackaging tomato pastes in Ayobo, a locality in Ipaja in the Alimoso Local Government Area of the State.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who disclosed this while briefing Government House Correspondents on the activities of his Ministry during the out-going year and the way forward, named the tomato paste being repackage as Tasty Top Tomato, adding that the task force on health which carried out the operation based on tip-off, also arrested two people at the ramshackle building where the repackaging done.

Dr. Idris further disclosed that 20, 000 cans of the repackaged tomato paste were seized from the factory while efforts were on to locate and equally seize the cans that have already been pushed into the market, adding that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has been alerted.

The Commissioner warned members of the public to be conscious of the products they buy in the market especially at this festive season, adding that his ministry has redoubled its regulatory efforts to ensure the safety of products being pushed out into the markets in the State in order to forestall such health disaster as caused by the MyPikin product.

Recalling the reported incident of over 23 people dying recently in a locality in the State as a result of their consumption of the local gin called Ogogoro, the Commissioner, who said NAFDAC was invited into the matter, disclosed that the dangerous chemical which caused the death of the consumers of the gin was industrial alcohol, adding that the factory was immediately closed down.

He hinted that the State Government may soon turn its attention towards the various eateries in the State with a view to regulating the kind of junk foods they sell to members of the public adding that this was in line with best practices in other parts of the world.

According to him, the purpose is to forestall the spread of various terminal ailments like cancer, diabetes, renal failure and heart-related diseases, among such other diseases which develop from intake of such foods.

On the activities of his ministry in the out-going year, Dr. Idris, who said the mission and vision of his Ministry was to provide the people of Lagos State with quality healthcare service, listed the activities to include, Upgrading of health care infrastructure at all levels of government, Primary healthcare, Human resource development and Healthcare Financing.

Others, according to him, are programmes addressing the various pertinent problems in the health sector, Regulation which, according to him, is very essential with respect to the private sector and whose objective is to improve on quality of service.

On upgrading of health facilities, Dr. Idris said the State Government’s attention was focused on upgrading of infrastructure in the State’s teaching hospitals – the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja and Gbagada General Hospital where the construction of Cardiac and Renal centres are at advanced stages.

Recalling the numerous cases of hole-in-the-heart, kidney and renal diseases which the State Government was called upon by citizens to assist in financing their treatment abroad, the Commissioner declared, “The State Government has spent a lot of money financing treatment of these ailments abroad. The purpose of these centres is to be able to treat these ailments locally”.

He said that the priority of the State Government was on Cardiac and Renal diseases, adding that the construction of the two centres has already commenced and would continue next year. According to him, when completed, the centres would carry out all operations and treatments currently being done in all such centres across the globe, including renal transplant.

At the Secondary Healthcare level, Dr. Idris said the Ministry has also engaged itself in the upgrading and rehabilitation of General Hospitals across the State, adding that in the out-going year, the State Government embarked on the construction of maternal healthcare centres in five local government areas in the State including Ikorodu, Isolo and Amuwo-Odofin.

Other areas where the State Government has made impact during the out-going year and will continue next year, he said, include refurbishing and equipping of hospitals at the Primary healthcare level, Limp reconstruction surgery where the ministry has started knee replacement programme which has already recorded two successful operations, Cleft lip operation, School Health programmes, Role Back Malaria programme and HIV/AIDS Programme in which, he said, some private sector agencies have shown willingness to assist the State Government.

On Preventive Services, the Commissioner said Government started with free screening for cancer of the breast, hypertension and diabetes adding that by next week screening for cancer of the cervix would commence. He said about eight medical missions were carried out across the State in Ibeju-Lekki, Ikorodu, Lagos Mainland and Ojo mainly for public enlightenment aimed at reducing high mortality rate as a result of these diseases.

Also in attendance at the conference were the Special Adviser on Health, Hon Toyin Hamzat and other officials in the Ministry.