In the wake of the tragic elevator accident that claimed the life of Dr. Vwaere Diaso, a medical doctor at Lagos Island General Hospital, Odan, the Lagos State Government has taken decisive action to address the incident and prevent similar tragedies in the future.
The government has swiftly removed and blacklisted the facility managers responsible for the hospital’s elevator and suspended the General Manager of Lagos State Infrastructure and Asset Management Agency (LASIAMA) pending further investigation.
The fatal accident occurred last Tuesday when the hospital’s elevator plunged from the 10th floor, resulting in the untimely death of Dr. Diaso, who was on her way to the ground floor to receive a delivery from a dispatch rider.
The incident sparked outrage among the public, raising concerns about the safety standards and maintenance of public facilities.
To ascertain the circumstances surrounding the accident and hold those responsible accountable, the Lagos State Government established a panel of inquiry.
The panel’s primary objectives were to identify possible causes of the tragedy, determine any negligent parties, and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
In response to the panel’s findings, the Lagos State Government took immediate and decisive actions. The facility managers in charge of the hospital’s elevator were promptly dismissed and blacklisted for their role in the unfortunate accident.
Additionally, the General Manager of LASIAMA, the agency responsible for overseeing infrastructure management, was suspended pending further investigation.
“It is important to state that blood samples for cross-matching had not been taken and there had not been a request for blood at the time CPR commenced; it is not true that blood was not available,” the government said in a statement on Sunday.
“The state has a strong network of screening centres where blood is available. Besides, there is a register of voluntary donors who can be mobilised at very short notice.”
The Lagos government said the installation and maintenance contractors have been handed over to the police for further investigation and likely prosecution.
Also, the Lagos State Safety Commission is mandated to carry out an audit of all elevators in public offices.
“It is also important to state that the elevator that crashed was installed brand new in 2021,” the statement reads.
“Elevator experts working with the Lagos Safety Commission have carried out an initial inspection and will be removing the elevator for further mechanical examination to determine why the safety features that should prevent this kind of accident did not work.
“Their findings will determine if we have a case with the elevator installer.
“We have handed the installation and maintenance contractors to the police for further investigation and likely prosecution if they are found culpable.
“The police will also investigate anyone else that might have been found to be negligent. Engineers are working to unravel why all the safety devices of the elevator failed at the same time.
“All our staff are fully insured. We have informed our life insurance providers about this incident.”
