Protest as faulty elevator kills doctor in Lagos hospital

Dr. Vwaere Diaso, an Edo-native who passed away on Tuesday at the General Hospital in Odan on Lagos Island as a result of a lift accident, had her dream crushed.

The doctor, who had spent six years studying at Babcock University before being inducted last year, had high hopes and expectations.

Her hopes for a successful medical career and plans to use her knowledge of medicine to help the local area and society as a whole were, however, dashed in the wake of the unfortunate event.

It was discovered prior to her passing that she had less than two weeks left to complete her internship.

The crane allegedly fell from the 10th floor, where she was, to the ground with a loud thud that shook the hospital’s foundation while she was using the malfunctioning lift. It was claimed that a dispatch rider, who delivered the food she ordered online, called her on the phone to let her know that he was nearby. Later, she was discovered severely hurt in the wreckage.

The lift had been in poor condition since 2011, along with other infrastructure issues, according to resident doctors and hospital staff before Dr Diaso joined the facility as a student doctor.

The lift was so terrible, The Guardian discovered, that passengers had to manually close it to continue their journey because it would occasionally stop.

A coworker of Daiso’s who asked to remain anonymous said: “The lift had stopped multiple times while we were inside. Furthermore, there was no upkeep. Each time it occurred, we reported it. Maximum weight for the lift is 630 kg, or eight people.

“Once you open the lift and see two people inside, all you have to do is wait for the following group. They were aware that it was defective. That’s why we won’t accept this,” he said.

Olatunbosun Ogunbanwo, Director of Public Affairs for the Ministry of Health, and Chief Press Secretary to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Gboyega Akosile, both stated that the state government was looking into the incident’s underlying causes.

Akosile claimed that the governor ordered a thorough investigation and that any state official found to be responsible would not be spared.

The late doctor’s friend, Dr. Joy Aifuobhokhan, described the deceased as the most intelligent, selfless, and joyful person she had ever encountered.

Her classmate in medical school, Dr. Aifuobhokhan, said yesterday in an interview with The Guardian: “She was my friend. We worked together and first met at the medical school.

“From 2021 to 2022, I worked there, and the elevator was a major source of contention. I was fortunate to be rescued after getting stuck in a lift once. Nearly every doctor has been trapped in the lift.

Since 2011, medical professionals have been vocal in their complaints. Additionally, the power there was only restored for two hours, and when we complained about the lack of water and the difficulty in accessing it, they responded that they didn’t have doctor’s quarters at the time and that we shouldn’t be complaining.

When asked if a complaint had been lodged with the appropriate authorities, she responded, “We are under the Health Service Commission of Lagos State and we have written several letters to them and they only come around and conduct repairs, but the elevator will become faulty the second day and we will go back to zero. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Medical Guild are both aware of the situation, but nothing has been done about it.

She said of the deceased: “She was the brightest of us; she was always joyful and smiling. Diaso would always smile and return to tend to patients even as everyone else grumbled. The best among us was Dr. Diaso. She shouldn’t be made to pay for her carelessness.

“We discussed how she would begin working where I am currently employed, and she was looking forward to beginning her house job with us,” said the mother.

While waiting for justice to be served, the Lagos State Chapter of NMA yesterday requested that all medical staff members at the three government hospitals on the island—General Hospital Lagos, Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, and Massey Street Children Hospital—go on indefinite strike.

In a statement, the Lagos State NMA Chairman, Dr. Benjamin Olowojebutu, and his Secretary, Dr. Ismail Ajibowo, said the association also proclaimed a five-day period of national mourning for Diaso’s passing due to injuries sustained while trapped in a lift at the Lagos General Hospital for more than 40 minutes.

The NMA characterised her death as preventable and demanded an immediate, unbiased investigation into the unfortunate incident’s circumstances. The general manager of the Lagos State Infrastructure Management Agency (LASIAMA), Ms. Adenike Adekambi, in particular, must be brought to justice, the body demanded of all those found to be responsible for the accident.

Additionally, a probe into the doctor’s passing has been launched by the Lagos State government.

The state expressed its shock at the news of Dr. Diaso’s passing in a statement.

“The state government, especially management and staff of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, commiserate with the family of the deceased on the unfortunate loss of their daughter, who passed away as a result of the mechanical failure of a lift at the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island,” the statement read.

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“An investigation has been started by a team of representatives from the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Lagos State Health Service Commission, Lagos State Safety Commission, and certified experts in Lift and Vertical Transportation Equipment.

According to the report of the inquiry, “Lagos State Government will ensure that anyone found to have been negligent will face appropriate sanctions.”