By Fawaz Adebisi
In response to the unfortunate and untimely death of Dr. Vwaere Diaso, a medical house officer, due to a lift malfunction at the General Hospital Odan, Lagos Island, the Lagos State Government has conducted a thorough investigation and taken decisive measures.
The General Manager of Lagos State Infrastructure and Asset Management Agency (LASIAMA), Adenike Adekanbi, has been placed on immediate suspension, as her agency holds responsibility for the facility in question.
Furthermore, the Facility Managers overseeing the House Officers’ quarters, under the purview of LASIAMA, have been relieved of their positions and blacklisted.
Olumide Sogunle, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Strategy, issued a statement on Sunday, explaining that preliminary findings have led to the termination and blacklisting of the Facility Managers.
He highlighted that the operations and reporting structure of the facility managers will be reorganized to include direct oversight by the hospital management.
Sogunle emphasized that the installation and maintenance contractors have been referred to the police for a thorough investigation and potential prosecution if their negligence is proven.
Additionally, the police will probe into any other parties that may have contributed to the unfortunate incident.
Engineers are diligently investigating the simultaneous failure of all safety devices in the elevator and have taken steps to ensure that all staff members are fully insured, with life insurance providers informed of the situation.
The Lagos Safety Commission has been directed to immediately conduct an audit of all elevators in public offices, augmenting existing safety protocols.
Previously, Sogunle explained that in an effort to provide comfortable and functional accommodation for health workers, the management of the House Officers Quarters had been outsourced to a facility management company under the oversight of LASIAMA.
A panel was promptly established to investigate the causes of the incident, identify any responsible parties, and propose preventive measures.
Notably, the panel included representatives from the Medical Guild and six House Officers.
Sogunle therefore clarified that the elevator in question had been newly installed in 2021, emphasizing the commitment of the Lagos State Government to ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens.
