5, 492 Residents of Lagos are HIV Positive, 9,120 Hypertensive – Health Commissioner

The Lagos State Government said on Wednesday that 115,424 residents of the state were tested and counselled for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the last one year.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris who made the revelation at the annual ministerial press briefing said that at least 5, 492 people who tested positive to the virus commenced antiretroviral treatment.

He explained that 40,997 pregnant women were counseled and treated through tuberculosis outreach centres adding that 1,702 pregnant women who are HIV positive and 1,143 HIV exposed children were placed on prophylaxis and that 9, 120 Nigerians resident in the state are hypertensive.

Idris acknowledged that there are acute shortage of medical personal in the state adding that it is however a global problem, which is much more serious in Nigeria and by extension, Lagos State.

“We in Lagos state have meant the brunt of it because of the population of Lagos state. There is large shortage of staff at the various level of care, so there is need for government to continue to look for more money to recruit more staff. We are now looking into redeployment of staff and proper utilization of staff so that there will be no wastage”, the commissioner said.

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He said the state will continue to have shortage of staff in the health sector since resources available are not enough to recruit more staff. The commissioner noted that ongoing work on Ayinke House has reached advanced stage and that the work will be completed before end of the year.

He said that mortuaries in Lagos State are congested but that the state will continue to build more to be able to accommodate more corpses adding that the crematorium run by the Lagos State government does not have the heat capacity to take a lot of people.