By Oluwafunke Ishola
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) says it has begun consultations with the management of the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos, on infrastructure improvement for workers and patients.
Dr Ismail Ajibowo, Secretary, NMA Lagos, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
According to Ajibowo, health services are still grounded at the hospital due to a faulty elevator at the staff quarters that led to the death of a medical house officer, Dr Diaso Vwaere.
He said that the NMA had a meeting with the hospital’s management on how to handle the challenge and their long-term plans for the young doctors in terms of residence.
“Until these issues are resolved, they (young doctors) can’t stay in that building,” he said.
He said that the association, in partnership with the Medical Guild and management of the hospital, have ensured close contact with the family of the deceased doctor.
According to him, a memorial service will hold for the deceased on Aug.3 (today).
Ajibowo noted that the strike and investigation into the cause of the death was ongoing.
NAN recalled that NMA on Aug. 2 directed medical doctors in three government hospitals on Lagos Island to embark on an indefinite strike over the death of Dr Vwaere.
The hospitals on indefinite strike are General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island Maternity Hospital and Massey Street Children’s Hospital.
NMA also directed all doctors in all the other government hospitals in the state to scale down activities as a mark of respect for their dead colleague.
It ordered that only emergency services should be rendered for the next five days at the other hospitals.
Vwaere, a medical house officer, with General Hospital, Odan, died on Aug. 1, as a result of injuries sustained when the elevator she was in crashed in the hospital’s staff quarter’s building.
The incident angered her colleagues, who staged a peaceful protest on Aug. 2 at the hospital and also disrupted clinical services there.
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State had ordered a probe into the cause of the mechanical failure that led to the death of Dr Vwaere.
Sanwo-Olu said that the investigation would be conducted with utmost transparency and fairness, leaving no room for any biases or favouritism. (NAN)
