The Lagos State Government says it will investigate the cause of high cases of goitre in Badagry. Goitre is a swollen condition on the front part of the neck caused by iodine deficiency.
Governor Babatunde Fashola who made the disclosure at state’s Free Health Mission Programme in Ajara Area of the ancient city of Badagry on Thursday, said that health officials in the area handled high cases of the disease and described the situation as `disturbing.’
“Since four days ago when this health mission programme started here in Badagry, our health officials have told us they handled no fewer than 30 cases of goitre daily. This is disturbing and we will have to conduct an investigation into the where these sufferers live and the water they drink to enable us really understand the problem,’’ he said.
Fashola said that officials of the health mission programme had the capacity to attend to all classes of the disease and urged all those afflicted with the disease to access treatment at the venue of the mission programme.
The governor said the health mission was designed by the government to take free health care to the grassroots, adding that the mission offered services such as health screenings, minor surgeries, among others, adding that residents in all parts of the state had benefited from the programme.
Fashola said no fewer than 10,000 residents of Badagry had benefited from the mission since it started on Dec. 9.
He said that various medical services were offered while over 1,000 glasses were given free to those who needed corrective lens.
“You should note that this noble programme could only be sustained if we all pay our taxes, because that is what we use to provide all these services,’’ he said.
The governor urged the residents to participate in the ongoing residents registration exercise to enable the government derive reliable data for planning purposes.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, pledged that the government would continue to provide health facilities across the state to widen access to health care.