The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State chapter, has called on the state government to immediately relocate house officers residing at the General Hospital, Odan, citing safety hazards and unresolved infrastructure failures.
The appeal was made by the NMA Lagos Chairman, Dr. Babajide Saheed, in a statement issued on Friday to mark the second anniversary of the death of Dr. Diaso Vwaere, a house officer who lost her life on August 1, 2023, after an elevator crash at the hospital’s staff quarters.
Dr. Vwaere died from injuries sustained when the elevator she was in plummeted from the 10th floor of the building. The incident sparked outrage among medical personnel, leading to protests and service disruptions at the hospital.
In response to the incident at the time, the NMA had declared an indefinite strike across three Lagos Island government hospitals, with limited services observed across other government health facilities in the state for five days.
Two years later, Dr. Saheed expressed deep concern that the quarters remain in a state of disrepair, with the elevator still uninstalled and residents enduring inadequate water and electricity supply, compounding the psychological strain on the young doctors.
“The house officers’ quarters in General Hospital, Odan, remain a significant hazard to those currently residing there. It is disheartening that, despite the tragedy, the building has not been fully rehabilitated,” Saheed said.
He urged the Lagos State Government to expedite the renovation of the quarters and ensure a functional elevator is installed before the end of the year. Additionally, he called for the quarters to be renamed “Dr. Diaso Vwaere’s House Officers Quarters” in her honour.
Saheed reminded stakeholders that Dr. Vwaere died in the line of duty, stating, “She was serving humanity when she fell victim to systemic failure.”
A panel of inquiry previously set up by the NMA revealed that there was no verifiable maintenance structure for the elevator at the time of the incident—further underscoring the association’s ongoing concerns about negligence and safety in public healthcare infrastructure.