PICTURES FROM GUINNESS MOTORPARK HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAM

L-R: Community Investment Manager, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Ogboruche Nkiruka; Chief Nursing Officer, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Mrs. Oyinade O. Ajiboye; Representative, Ministry of Transportation/ Directorate of Vehicle Inspection Service, Engr. Adebayo Abel Olusoji at the Guinness Nigeria patnering with Lagos State Ministry of Health in advocating responsible drinking through the motor park health and safety program, held at CMS motorpark, Marina on Thursday, May 29th.

Guinness Nigeria in partnership with Lagos State Ministry of Health organised an awareness programme to advocate responsible drinking through the motor park health and safety program. It was held at CMS motorpark, Marina.
                        

                        
500 COMMERCIAL MOTOR DRIVERS BENEFITS FROM LAGOS FREE HEALTH SCREENING AND EDUCATION
No fewer than 500 commercial motor drivers in T&M CMS and CMS-Epe Motor Parks at Marina, Lagos have benefited from various free health screenings including; screening for high blood pressure, diabetes, eye disease, blood alcohol content (BAC) and narcotics during a five day screening, awareness and sensitization campaign organized by the Lagos State Ministry of Health, State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris has said.

Idris who disclosed this today while reviewing the report of the screening and awareness exercise noted that the exercise tagged ‘Motor Park Health and Safety Initiatives programme’ was instituted in order to ensure the safety of drivers and commuters by creating awareness about the need for drivers to update their driving skills and techniques, submitting themselves for periodic medical examination especially eye tests on one hand and other non communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes on the other hand and dissuading them from substance abuse like alcohol and drugs.

The Commissioner added that the State government decided to embark on the Motor Park Health and Safety Initiatives programme because human developmental index had shown that the numbers of lives that were lost in a year were not necessarily lost to natural illnesses alone but to violence, road accidents, and other needless and avoidable cause of death.

“This explains why the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Ministry of Transportation and in Partnership with Guinness Nigeria Plc put together this initiative. Again, that is why the importance of this motor park health and safety awareness campaign cannot be over emphasized”, Idris opined.

He stated that the 500 commercial drivers, who benefitted from the just concluded campaign at CMS-Epe and T&M CMS Motor Parks between Monday 26th and Friday 30th May, 2014 underwent hypertension and diabetes screening, eye screening, urine drug test, mental counseling and alcohol content test using breathalyzers.

“176 people were screened for hypertension and diabetes, 351 drivers had their eyes screened, 120 people benefited from urine test, 80 drivers were screened for alcohol content level using breathalyzer and 83 people benefited from the one-on-one mental health counseling”, the Commissioner said.

Idris explained the Motor Park Health and Safety Initiative sensitization and screening campaign has been taken to Ojota, Iyana Ipaja, Oyingbo and Bariga motor parks stressing that advocacy, education and enlightenment on what commercial motor drivers should do and should not do as regards their health and well being especially to ensure an accident free commuting is what the programme seek to achieve.

“The screening, counseling and advocacy team that run this programme includes medical doctors, psychiatrists, nurses, laboratory technicians, pharmacists and pharmaceutical technicians, officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), Vehicle Inspection Officers, Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) officials and administrative workers”, the Commissioner said.

He explained that out of the 500 motor drivers that were screened during the latest exercise at T&M CMS and CMS-Epe Motor Parks, 50 of those screened presented with hypertension while 16 people were found to be diabetic, 100 drivers tested positive to substance abuse and 26 of those screened had excessive blood alcohol level.

“Also, a total of 351 drivers benefited from blindness prevention services which include eye screening and eye health education. Out of 351 screened, 117 were given free eye glasses, 42 people were penciled down for special order lenses while 39 were referred for specialized eye care”, Idris noted.

He urged commercial motor drivers to desist from taking alcohol, drugs or other related substance before going behind the wheel stressing that evidence abound that road traffic accidents are influenced and precipitated by substance abuse which impaired driver’s ability to manage and manipulate a vehicle well.

“Let us resolve today that we will stop taking a gamble with our lives. Every time you cross the highway, every time you drink Alomo and Paraga, every time you get behind the steering wheels with drugs in your system, it is like putting a loaded gun to one’s head and wondering if it can kill or not. It is a huge risk to take and we should stop taking that risk”, he opined.