By Kamil Opeyemi
The installer of a faulty elevator that claimed the life of a medical doctor, Vwaere Diaso, at the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos-Island, last Tuesday, has been handed over to the police for interrogation, the Lagos State Government has said.
In a statement on Friday, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Strategy in the state, Olumide Sogunle, said an inquiry has commenced into the accident.
According to him, the investigation panel will submit a report of its initial findings on Saturday.
Sogunle highlighted some of the steps taken so far by the investigative panel, stating that the panel has met with the Facility Manager, management of the General Hospital, Lagos, and the Lagos State Infrastructure Asset Management Agency (LASIAMA), to unravel the circumstances surrounding the elevator accident.
“A Panel comprising the Chairman of the Lagos State Health Service Commission (HSC), Permanent Secretary of the Health Service Commission, Director-General of the Safety Commission, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health; House officers and representatives of the medical associations, has been set up,” he said
“The panel met with the Facility Manager, personnel of LASIAMA and the management of General Hospital, Lagos. The Panel had also met with the lift installer and the representatives of the company that installed the elevator.
“The panel also invited a lift expert to the accident scene to look at the lift and give a preliminary opinion. Other experts would now take the elevator out for a thorough mechanical and electrical examination.
“As part of the panel’s activities from the first day when they interviewed the lift installer, they handed him over to the Police for questioning and further interrogation. This is to ensure that the installer will always be available if the panel needs him for further questions.
“Six house officers and representatives of the medical associations were appointed as witnesses. Representatives of the House Officers and medical associations were allowed to be part of the panel.
“The panel was given 48 hours to conclude action and so it will be submitting a report of their initial findings on Saturday. And any other steps to be taken after that would be done by the appropriate authorities.”
It was reported that, the elevator fell from the 10th floor of the hospital building on Tuesday which resulted into the death of 
The deceased was said to be inside the elevator on her way to the ground floor to pick up a delivery from a dispatch rider when the accident occurred.
The elevator was said to have been previously faulty, and staff had complained about it.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has declared an indefinite strike in three hospitals over the death of their colleague.