The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) 11-man panel set up to investigate circumstances surrounding the tragic death of the late Diaso Vwaere has revealed that there was no verifiable structure of maintenance for the lifts installed in the hospital, HeraldNG reports.
Reading findings from its report Lagos State NMA Chairman Dr Benjamin Olowojebutu disclosed that the panel recommended that the hospital management should be saddled with the responsibility of maintaining the hospital assets to avoid ‘needless bureaucracies.
“Following the standards of Lagos State Safety Commission, we recommend that hospital assets be maintained and serviced by the hospital management to avoid needless bureaucracy and such assets should be certified annually by competent professionals,” the report partly noted.
“Upon commissioning of assets or technical equipment, the operators of the equipment must be adequately trained and retrained on safety and proper operation and handling of emergencies.
“Routine safety drills should be conducted by safety officers for all staff.”
The panel also recommended that the state government investigate stakeholders and contractors and punish those found culpable.
The panel also recommended that house officers’ quarters at General Hospital Odan, Lagos Island be named after the deceased, to immortalize her.
Diaso died after an elevator at the General Hospital, Lagos Island fell from the 10th floor of the building while she was inside it.
To look into the events leading up to the death of Diaso, a medical student at the hospital doing her horsemanship, the association established a commission.
The 11-member panel is led by Saheed Babajide and consists of an impartial group of medical professionals, solicitors and engineers.
As Diaso was riding in the lift, it crashed from the building’s 10th story. She had injuries of varying severity, and a hospital coroner pronounced her dead.