10 months later, following the tragic death of medical doctor Vwaere Diaso in an elevator accident at Lagos Island General Hospital, the Chairman of the Medical Guild, Dr Moruf Abdulsalam, has announced that a new elevator will be installed before the end of May.
As previously reported by WAKADAILY, the incident occurred when the elevator carrying the doctor plummeted from the 10th floor of the building on August 1, 2023, just two weeks before she was due to complete her housemanship.
After the elevator crash, reports indicated that the doctor was trapped for over 40 minutes within the elevator and tragically succumbed to the severe injuries sustained during the accident.
Subsequent to her passing, numerous individuals came forward to share their own encounters and concerns while utilizing the same elevator.
Numerous complaints were raised by visitors and employees regarding the malfunctioning elevator, but all calls went unheeded, with only threats and warnings of license suspension as a response from the relevant authorities.
In the aftermath of the tragic incident, an investigative panel established by the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association exposed the elevator involved in Diaso’s death as defective and unsafe for operation.
The report, submitted to the NMA President Benjamin Olowojebutu in Lagos, was compiled by an 11-member panel comprising doctors, lawyers, and engineers, with Saheed Babajide serving as the chair. According to the findings,
“ought not to have been put to use to avoid endangering lives.”
It was noted that both elevators in the building had been functioning inadequately for an extended period, as revealed by testimony from two house officers interviewed by the panel.
Among the recommendations provided, the panel emphasized the need to investigate and prosecute all stakeholders and contractors if proven negligent.
Following the incident, the General Manager of the Lagos State Infrastructure and Asset Management Agency, Adenike Adekambi, was suspended by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Additionally, the facility managers of the hospital were dismissed and placed on a blacklist after the state government’s investigative panel submitted its findings.
Despite these actions, five months later, the faulty elevator had not yet been replaced, as observed during a site visit. Residents of the 10-story doctors’ residence were utilizing the stairs due to the elevator’s absence, with the lift area cordoned off and signage indicating
“Restricted area, construction site. No unauthorised access”
The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, and the Ministry of Health’s Permanent Secretary, Olusegun Ogboye, confirmed that contracts had been awarded for the elevator replacement and building renovations.
Nine months later, the Commissioner of Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, oversaw the commencement of building repairs where the elevator was housed. Dr. Abdulsalam, the Guild Chairman, mentioned that Julius Berger would be responsible for the building repairs, while another contractor would handle the installation of the awaited elevator upon arrival in the country.
“The work has commenced on that site, and the work is expected to take eight months. The elevator will be procured and moulded outside, then they will come and install it.
“As far as I know now, the lift (elevator) has not entered the country; they told us that before the end of this month, the lift will be in the country. Even when the lift gets here, the renovation will probably be 70-80 per cent completed before they can install the lift.”
