The Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Benjamin Oluwatosin, has expressed concern over the lack of attention given by the state government to cases involving the loss of doctors’ lives in the state.
Dr. Vwaere Diaso, a medical doctor and house officer, tragically lost her life on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, in an elevator accident where she was trapped in a lift.
Recently, the death of a music artist, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as MohBad, received significant attention from the government in the state, which was not the case with Dr. Vwaere Diaso’s death.
In a statement shared with a correspondent on Saturday, Benjamin lamented that the government had not shown adequate attention to matters involving the loss of doctors’ lives in the state.
He emphasized the need for a proactive and holistic audit of the circumstances leading to Dr. Vwaere Diaso’s death to prevent similar incidents in the future. Benjamin noted that government agencies and institutions had hindered the discovery of the facts surrounding the tragic incident.
He expressed his disappointment with the difference in the government’s attention and approach to the two cases, highlighting that doctors’ lives seemed undervalued when compared to other incidents.
Benjamin underscored the systemic failures, malfunctioning laws, and ill-equipped workplaces that contributed to the tragic loss of a diligent medical doctor in her workplace. He called for greater accountability and improvements in the healthcare system.
The statement also revealed that, of all the stakeholders invited by a panel to investigate the incident, only the Lagos State Safety Commission and the Medical Guild responded. Others, including the Medical Director of General Hospital, Odan, and various government officials, ignored the invitations.
The NMA Lagos Chapter extended its condolences to the family of the deceased and acknowledged the government’s proactive steps in the case of MohBad. However, it called for equal attention and accountability in cases involving the loss of doctors’ lives.