The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State branch, has urged the immediate relocation of house officers from the doctors’ quarters at General Hospital, Odan, citing ongoing safety hazards and psychological strain two years after the tragic death of Dr. Diaso Vwaere.
Dr. Babajide Saheed, Chairman of the NMA in Lagos, made the call on Friday during a statement to mark the second anniversary of Dr. Vwaere’s death, who lost her life on August 1, 2023, after an elevator crash from the 10th floor of the building.
“The house officers quarters in General Hospital, Odan, Lagos, remains a source of huge hazard to the current house officers residing in the building,” Saheed said, lamenting the continued neglect of the facility and the absence of basic amenities such as stable water and electricity.
Dr. Vwaere, then a house officer, was fatally injured when the elevator at the hospital’s residential quarters collapsed. Her death triggered protests by fellow doctors, leading to a strike in three government hospitals on Lagos Island and scaled-down operations elsewhere in the state for several days.
Despite the widespread outrage and the setting up of an 11-person inquiry panel by the NMA, which found no verifiable maintenance records for the elevator, Dr. Saheed expressed frustration that two years later, the building has not been fully rehabilitated and the elevator remains uninstalled.
“It is pertinent to remind all members, Nigerians and the Lagos State Government that Dr. Diaso Vwaere was on duty serving humanity when she fell victim to ineptitude,” he said.
He called on the Lagos State Government to expedite repairs and ensure the installation of a new, functional elevator before the end of the year. In addition, the NMA is advocating that the quarters be renamed ‘Dr. Diaso Vwaere’s House Officers Quarters’ in her honour.
The association stressed that failure to act promptly could risk a repeat of tragedy, as the living conditions in the quarters remain unfit for medical professionals.
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