The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has been shaken by two heart-wrenching incidents, leading to protests and an indefinite strike in Lagos. The tragic death of Dr. Vwaere Diaso due to a faulty elevator and the kidnapping of Dr. Ekanem Ephraim have ignited outrage and calls for immediate action to protect medical professionals. The medical community demands justice and accountability to prevent further tragedies.
In the first incident, the NMA staged a protest at the Cross River House of Assembly to denounce the kidnapping of Dr. Ekanem Ephraim on July 13. Armed men, disguised as patients, abducted the doctor from her residence, sparking fear and anxiety among medical professionals in Cross River.
Felix Archibong, NMA chair in Cross River, expressed frustration over the escalating danger faced by doctors and urged the government to take decisive measures to ensure their safety.
He said, “We are tired of coming out to protest every time that our member is kidnapped, and after it is sorted out, another doctor is targeted and picked. We have given the state government enough time; we have been patient, and today is the 19th day, and our member is still in the kidnappers’ den.”
Meanwhile, in Lagos, the second incident unfolded tragically when Dr. Vwaere Diaso lost her life due to a faulty elevator at General Hospital, Odan. The young doctor, who was just weeks away from completing her housemanship, fell to her death when the elevator malfunctioned and dropped from the 10th floor of the building. Shockingly, the elevator had been in disrepair for years, despite complaints from doctors and visitors to the hospital management.
According to a doctor who chose to remain anonymous, the hospital management’s negligence extended beyond the faulty elevator. He explained that while salaries of doctors who worked in December last year remained unpaid, the hospital lacked running water. Also, the fear of retribution prevented many from speaking out about the hazardous conditions.
He stated, “If you talk, they threaten you with license suspension. All she wanted to do was get her food from a dispatcher downstairs. It even took them an hour to get her out of the elevator. She was still conscious even with fractures, she was taken to emergency and then another delay, no blood. This country failed her.”
The appalling incidents have left the medical community in mourning and demanding justice.
The NMA Lagos branch declared an indefinite strike in three government hospitals on Lagos Island to protest Dr. Diaso’s untimely death. The strike will continue until investigations into the cause of her demise are completed and accountability is ensured, the association stressed.
NMA urged the government to investigate the elevator accident thoroughly and hold all responsible parties, including the General Manager of the Lagos State Infrastructure Management Agency, Ms. Adenike Adekambi, accountable for the negligence that led to Dr. Diaso’s death.