NMA chair laments LASG neglect of doctors

The Chairman of Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association, Benjamin Oluwatosin, has lamented the attention given by the state government on cases concerning the loss of doctors’ lives in the state.

Recall that on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, Dr. Vwaere Diaso, a medical doctor and house officer, became a victim of an elevator accident in which she was trapped in a lift and eventually lost her life.

Recently, the death of a music crooner, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as MohBad has totally drawn the attention of the government in the state, unlike Vwaere Diaso’s death.

Benjamin, in a statement shared with our correspondent, on Saturday, said the government has shown inattention in approaching matters that involve losses of lives of doctors in the State.

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It partly read, “In saner climes, the government would have instituted a proactive and holistic audit of the entire process that led to her death. Instead, government agencies and institutions have been the clog in discovering and ascertaining what actually transpired – which would have helped prevent a recurrence.

“However, there is a conspicuously glaring and shocking difference in the government’s attention, approach, and style of handling the Mohbad’s incident and cases involving the losses of lives of doctors in Lagos State and, by extension, Nigeria.

“How does one explain the tragic loss of a diligent medical doctor who was hit by a crossfire of untimely death in her workplace? No thanks to systemic failure, malfunctioning laws, and ill-equipped workplace aptly enabled by the government.

“It is disheartening to note that of all the stakeholders invited by the panel, only the Lagos State Safety Commission and the Medical Guild responded. Others who flagrantly ignored the invites include the Medical Director of General Hospital, Odan, Immediate and past Medical Director of General Hospital, Odan, Chairman and Permanent Secretary of Health Service Commission, General Manager of Lagos State Infrastructure Asset Management Agency (LASIAMA), and the facility manager of the building – Sekida Global Concepts Nigeria Limited.

“Suppose doctors, in an attempt to provide basic health care, are ignobly killed, and the government keeps paying lip service and sycophantic gesticulations. Where do we go from here? Then, it becomes imperative to ask, “Do doctors’ lives matter, too?”

However, the medical body sympathised with the family of the deceased.

“The NMA Lagos Chapter hereby sends its condolences to his family, friends, and global fans. As a responsible institution, we also salute the government’s proactive steps in this particular case.”