Popular gospel singer, Nathaniel Bassey, has lamented the death of a young doctor, Dr Vweare Diaso, who lost her life two weeks before the end of housemanship at Lagos State General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island.
Punch Metro reported that Dr Diaso was said to be in a faulty elevator which crashed from the 10th floor of the doctors’ quarters in the general hospital (Odan, Lagos island), Lagos State, and she was said to have died in the hospital afterwards due to alleged poor management and negligence on the part of the hospital.
The Lagos State Chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association revealed that “she(Dr DIaso) was trapped in the elevator for more than 40mins before she was rescued. We were also reliably informed that there was no blood available for resuscitation.”
The news of Dr Diaso sent shockwaves which sparked backlashes from Nigerians towards the government over what has been described as an avoidable death of the young doctor.
Reacting, the Onise Iyanu crooner demanded an investigation into the death of Dr Diaso while lamenting the level of mediocrity and negligence in the system.
“To say I am pained by this news is an understatement. A purely avoidable event if things were done as they should. The untimely death of Dr Vweare Diaso, who died due to the crash of an elevator. I am really pained by this. We can’t keep sacrificing our people on the altar of mediocrity and negligence.
“More so, a young doctor that we barely have enough of. This should be investigated and adequate measures put in place to prevent more painful outcomes like this.
“I pray for her family and loved ones. May they find strength even at this difficult time,” the music minister said.
Brain drain in Nigeria’s health sector
This is coming amid the brain drain in the country, especially the medical sector which has seen a number of medical personnel flee the country for greener pastures abroad, leaving the country with fewer doctors who appeared to be outnumbered by the country’s population.
According to a December 2022 study by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, about 2,000 doctors have left Nigeria in two years, with 800 of them in the last eight months, averaging 100 doctors leaving monthly for greener pastures.
The National President and Senior Registrar, Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Abia State, Dr Emeka Innocent Orji, told The Guardian, “We did a study among our members to find out why they are leaving even though we have always known that when you are engaging the government without facts and figures, they may not understand the gravity of what you are talking about. So, this study showed that in the last two years, up to 2,000 doctors have left this country and in the last eight months, January to August, about 800 doctors left. When you do the matrix, it is about 100 doctors per month.”
In January 2023, NARD whose members are House Officers, Registrars, Senior Registrars, and Medical Officers below the level of Principal Medical Officers, released another report stating that at least 85 per cent of Nigerian doctors(about 8,500 out of 10,000) are planning to leave the country to seek greener pastures, preferably for the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
The President of the association, Dr Emeka, told The Punch in January that as of October 2022, there were only 10,000 resident doctors in the country, citing “an increment in the immigration because nothing essentially has changed in terms of the working condition, infrastructure, security and all that.
“Mobility of labour is acceptable anywhere and what the government should do is to address the root causes of the immigration of doctors, as long as they don’t address it, when they see better opportunities out there, they will want to go there.
“It’s about the choices people make about themselves when they think that the government is not taking care of them. The government needs to improve on the things we have highlighted to reduce the brain drain.”
NMA declares indefinite strike, five-day mourning
Meanwhile, the Lagos NMA, on Wednesday, declared a five-day statewide mourning period over Dr Diaso’s death and an indefinite strike action until the investigations are completed and justice served, adding that only emergency services should be rendered for the next five days.
This was disclosed in a press statement jointly signed by the State Chairman, Dr Benjamin Olowojebutu, and Secretary, Dr Ismail Ajibowo, the doctors who commensurate with the family of the deceased directed doctors in the three government hospitals on the Island-General Hospital Lagos, Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, and Massey Street Children Hospital.
“This is heartbreaking, heart-wrenching, and quite unfortunate. Information we got was that she was trapped in the elevator for more than 40mins before she was rescued.
“We were also reliably informed that there was no blood available for resuscitation, and this has become a recurring issue as a result of the review made by the government on the previous policy on blood donation. To us, this was an avoidable death and, unfortunately, it was allowed to happen. We are pained and we are mourning.
“We are well aware that this same elevator has been a source of problem for many years during which several complaints have been made to all relevant agencies with no respite.
“It is very painful that at a time when the country is battling with unprecedented brain drain, a young colleague that would have been expected to attend to 6000 Nigerians was allowed to die a needless death.
“As a result of this, we declare a five-day statewide mourning period; we demand an immediate, unbiased investigation into the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate incident; that all those found culpable in this matter, especially the General Manager of the Lagos State Infrastructure Management Agency, Ms. Adenike Adekambi, are all brought to Justice,” the statement read partly.
Lagos promises justice over Dr Diaso’s death
Also, the Lagos State Government has commenced an investigation into the death of Dr Diaso.
The state government stated that anyone found negligent by the report of the inquiry will face appropriate sanctions.
This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Strategy, Olumide Sogunle.
According to the statement, an inquiry by a team of officials from the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Lagos State Health Service Commission, Lagos State Safety Commission and certified Lift and Vertical Transportation Equipment experts has commenced.
