Elevator Tragedy: NMA declares indefinite strike in Lagos hospitals

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos branch, has directed medical doctors in three government hospitals on Lagos Island to embark on an indefinite strike over the death of its member, Dr Diaso Vwaere. The directive is contained in a statement jointly signed by the Chairman and Secretary of NMA in the state, Dr Benjamin Olowojebutu and Dr Ajibowo Ismail, on Wednesday in Lagos. Vwaere, a medical house officer with the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos, died on August 1, owing to the injuries sustained when the elevator she was in crashed from the 10th floor of the hospital building. NMA directed the doctors at the General Hospital, Odan; Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, and Massey Street Children’s Hospital to embark on the strike until investigations into the cause of the death were completed and justice served. “The information we got was that she was trapped in the elevator for more than 40 minutes 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 it’s unfortunate that 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 had 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 6,000 Nigerians was allowed to die a needless death,” the association said. It called for immediate, unbiased investigation into the circumstances surrounding the 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 association said. NMA also directed all the doctors in other government hospitals in the state to scale down activities as a mark of respect for their dead colleague. “Only emergency services should be rendered for the next five days,” it said. The association appealed to government to urgently begin an overhaul of the house officers’ quarters on the Island and repair the infrastructure in all government hospitals that needed attention. NMA also urged the government to revamp the blood transfusion system in the state for improved services. “We appeal to our colleagues to remain calm, as NMA Lagos State leadership is on top of the situation and will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that justice is not just served but seen to have been served,” the association said. It commiserated with the family of the late doctor, her colleagues on the Island, the Medical Guild, and the body of doctors in the state while praying for the fortitude to bear the irreparable and unfortunate loss.

Anthrax Outbreak: FAO strengthens partnership with Nigeria

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) have expressed their readiness to partner to check and control the spread of Anthrax disease in the country. Their partnership followed the anxiety created over the emergence of an anthrax outbreak in Nigeria, following the report of two recently confirmed cases in Lagos State. The Communications Officer FAO Nigeria, David Tsokar, made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja. According to the statement, on July 13, a suspected case of Anthrax was reported in a mixed farm at Sabon Wuse, Niger State, and a rapid response team was deployed by the Federal Government to collect samples and send them to the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) in Vom, Plateau. The presence of the disease was confirmed by the team and consequently, FMARD announced Government’s plan to intervene and control its possible spread. Tsokar said the Director, the Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services, (FDVPCS) in FMARD, Dr. Columba Vakuru, said the strategy of interventions include quarantining the affected farm. Other measures include the vaccination of susceptible animals around the infected farm, educating farm workers using the One-health approach, and planning statewide vaccination of susceptible animals. The FAO Nigeria, through the Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) was requested to provide the technical and financial support to the intervention strategy. This has to be on logistics to the start-off of the risk-based nation-wide vaccination against Anthrax, which commenced last Friday, July 22 in Suleja (Niger State), the local government where the first case was reported. Subsequently, a nation-wide meeting with all Directors of Veterinary Services (DVS) from the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory would be convened to fashion a comprehensive response to prevent, detect and respond to further spread of Anthrax to other parts of the country. The FAO ECTAD Country Team Lead, Dr Otto Vianney Muhinda, said that “the partnership is to be enhanced within the context of the One Health approach, and efforts would be sustained using a strong team of frontline experts, to prevent the spread of the disease to other parts of the country. “With the support of USAID, we are pursuing our efforts to mobilise human and financial resources, including the Directors of Veterinary Services from the 36 States and FCT Abuja, to discuss the ongoing Anthrax outbreak and evaluate the preparedness of the States vis-à-vis the implementation of strategies to prevent the spread of the disease into the country as well as put in place control measures.” The consultative meeting with DVSs from the states would discuss risk assessment and survey, the conduct of mass nationwide vaccination of animals (cattle, sheep, and goats) against Anthrax, refresher training for epidemiology officers, and training of livestock professionals, farmers, butchers and traders on biosecurity measures. The joint field mission to Sabon Wuse was conducted by the ECTAD, FDVPCS, and the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), where a quick risk assessment was conducted, one week after the first animal died of the disease. Vaccinations had, however, been carried out and other risk communication initiatives were deployed to avoid the spread to other farms and/or neighboring communities within 15 kilometers radius. The same team would be deployed to Lagos State to carry out the same exercise.