Crashed Elevator: Medical Guild Orders 100 Doctors Housed In The Quarters To Vacate Island General Hospital

Against the background of the death of the House doctor in the lift which crashed in the doctor’s quarters at the General Hospital, Lagos, the Medical Guild has ordered the 100 doctors housed in the quarters to vacate the premises.

The Chairman of Medical Guild, Dr. Sa’eid Ahmad who made this known in Lagos yesterday, demanded that the Lagos State government must prosecute contractors involved in the installation and maintenance of the lift that resulted in the death of the House officer, the house officer, Dr Vwaere Diaso.

Ahmad who spoke during a press conference on the tragic death of the doctor and the findings of investigations, urged the Lagos State Government to provide alternative accommodation for the doctors that have vacated their residential quarters.

The Medical Guild, an affiliate of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) is the association of doctors employed by the Lagos State Government.

Recall that Dr. Diaso, a house officer, died from injuries she sustained when the lift she was in at the doctor’s quarters in the General Hospital Lagos crashed on August 1.

She was subsequently trapped after the accident in the elevator for about 45 minutes before being rescued.

This same elevator has been a source of problems for which several complaints have been made to all relevant agencies with no respite until the crash.

“Findings made over the past 48 hours revealed that since the rehabilitation of the house officers’ quarters between 2015 and 2016 at the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island the lift had been defective.

Ahmad, said following numerous complaints, the lift, which was reinstalled in 2021, was inoperable on the day of commissioning.

Speaking, Ahmad said: “Following our several complaints, in 2021, when a pair of the lift was reinstalled at the quarters by one HK Designs, who again subcontracted the installation of the lift to one TJ Elevators under the supposed supervision of Lagos State Infrastructure Management Agency, LASIAMA, on the day of commissioning, the record will have it that the lift they were riding into commission didn’t lift.

“With all the state officials inside and in panic on day one, everyone had to alight. It was then claimed that the failure of the lift to properly operate was due to the inability of the mobile generator rented for the purpose of commissioning had insufficient power to carry the lift.”

However, the Medical Guild demanded the immediate installation of a brand new lift bought from a reputable company to replace the damaged one.

While condoling with the family of the late house officer, Ahmad called on the Lagos State Government to promptly reach out to the family of Dr. Diaso, saying they need psychological support in addition to other forms of support at this time.

For instance, it was hinted that the father of Dr. Diaso collapsed on hearing about the death of his daughter and had also gone into shock.

Ahmad lamented that although doctors battled at the GH Lagos to save the doctor, the house officer succumbed to several injuries both internal and external.

The Chairman of the Medical Guild said members of the Medical Guild were particularly sad over the failure the leadership of the Lagos State Infrastructure Management Agency (LASIMA) to appear personally before the investigation Committee set up to establish the cause of the elevator accident.

To this end Ahmad demanded that the leadership of LASIMA should be held accountable and if found culpable must be made to face the law.

Similarly, Ahmad demanded that all contractors, either primary or secondary charged with the maintenance of the crashed lift, if found to be negligent should be held accountable.

Saturday Telegraph