In light of the unfortunate elevator incident and the preliminary conclusions from the Lagos State Government’s Panel of Inquiry into the elevator crash resulting in the tragic loss of Dr Vwaere Diaso’s life, the State Government has initiated actions to penalize those identified as responsible.
In accordance with the investigations, the state government has terminated the employment of and placed the Facility Managers on a blacklist.
Additional measures taken by the state government include the immediate suspension of the General Manager of the State Infrastructure and Asset Management Agency.
In a press release on Sunday evening, Olumide Sogunle, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Strategy, disclosed that the facility managers’ operations and reporting structure have been revamped to involve direct oversight from the hospital management.
Sogunle further conveyed that the installation and maintenance contractors have been handed over to the police for further investigation, with the potential for prosecution if deemed liable. He emphasized that the police will also probe any individuals who may have acted negligently.
Furthermore, Sogunle indicated that engineers are diligently working to ascertain the reason behind the simultaneous failure of all safety mechanisms within the elevator.
Sogunle said: “All our staff are fully insured. We have informed our life insurance providers about this incident.
“The Lagos Safety Commission has been directed to immediately carry out an audit of all elevators in public offices. This is besides the usual safety arrangements that have always existed.
“We commiserate with her family and her colleagues and pray for the repose of her soul. As a Government, we feel the pain of this irreparable loss. May The Almighty console them and give them the strength to go through this difficult time.
“The Lagos State Government, in recognition of th8.13 importance of providing functional and comfortable accommodation for health 8.59 pms, outsourced the management of the House Officers Quarters to a facility management company. The Lagos State Infrastructure and Asset Management Agency (LASIAMA) oversees the activities of the facility management company.
“Following the incident, we immediately set up a panel to look into its likely causes, identify persons who might be culpable, and suggest ways of preventing any future occurrence.
“For transparency, the membership of the panel included representatives of the Medical Guild and six representatives of House Officers.
“The panel has now concluded its deliberations and submitted its report.
“According to its findings, the incident happened around 6.50 pm. Due to the impact, the elevator doors were damaged and needed to be forced open to rescue the trapped house officer. She was extracted at about 7.50 pm and resuscitation commenced immediately. She was wheeled to the emergency room and was immediately attended to by a medical team led by a highly experienced consultant orthopaedic and trauma surgeon. The team was assisted by all house officers who were present at the time.
”The initial objectives were to ensure a clear airway, maintain breathing, and establish circulation. The team was also joined by two consultant anaesthetists, including the Medical Director, who intubated the patient. Despite all the efforts, she stopped breathing around 8:13pm and Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) commenced. This went on until 8.59pm when she was pronounced dead.
“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 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.
“It is also important to state that the elevator that crashed was installed brand new in 2021. 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.”
