Lagos offers free screening for cancer, diabetes, hypertension

Worried by the increasing cases of sudden death from non-communicable diseases such as heart failure, stroke, diabetes complications, kidney damage and cancers in the country, the Lagos State government will on Monday October 12, 2015 begin offering free screening exercise for hypertension, diabetes mellitus and cancers of the breast, cervix and prostate.

Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health (LSMoH), Dr. Modele Osunkiyesi, while reviewing the state of preparedness of her ministry for the third round of the Wellness Week programme, enjoined residents to key into the awareness programme by availing themselves of the screening scheduled to hold from Monday to Friday.

Osunkiyesi, in a statement signed by the LSMoH Director of Information, Mrs. Adeola Salako, said: “Screening for hypertension and diabetes for adults 18 years and above will take place simultaneously in the 13 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and appurtenant Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the Lagos Central Senatorial District.

“The LGAs and LCDAs concerned are: Apapa LGA, Apapa-Iganmu LCDA, Lagos Mainland LGA, Yaba LCDA, Surulere LGA, Itire-Ikate LCDA, Coker-Aguda LCDA, Lagos Island LGA, Lagos Island East LCDA, Etiosa LGA, Etiosa East LCDA, Iru-VI LCDA and Ikoyi Obalende LCDA.”

In another development, Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has approved rural electrification of 67 villages in Ibeju-Lekki area of the state. The project, due for completion in December, will end over 35 years of darkness in the Lagos rural communities. The villages are from Ibeju Lekki junction, Magbon Alade, down to Ode Omi. By extension, phase two of the project will also light up the entire stretch of roads from Berger to Lagos Island and Ikorodu to Lagos Island. 
 
Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Energy, Deji Williams, yesterday told reporters that the governor had given the order that the entire project be completed in a record time. Williams said a team from the electricity board is currently studying the architectural drawings of the roads to ascertain the number of street lights needed to light up the entire stretch of road from Berger to Island and Ikorodu to Island.
 
He stated that most of the streetlights would be connected to the existing Independent Power Projects (IPP), to reduce the operational expenses, saying that each of the poles would be affixed with 250 watts.

Osunkiyesi, however, said that screening for cancers of the breast and cervix; for women and prostate; for men aged 45 years and above will take place in Apapa – Iganmu LCDA in addition to screening for diabetes and hypertension in the LCDA.