Tragedy struck at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) as young resident doctor, Dr. Femi Rotifah, reportedly slumped and died after working non-stop for 72-hours.
Dr. Rotifah, who was said to be preparing to relocate to the United Kingdom, was on continuous duty before he collapsed.
Colleagues and staff at the hospital described the incident as shocking and blamed excessive workload and poor welfare conditions in the health sector for the tragedy.
Confirming the development, the President of the Resident Doctors, Dr. Tope Osundara decried the heavy workload faced by doctors across the country.
He said the late Rotifah had been on call in the hospital’s emergency ward before the incident, stressing that prolonged shifts and staff shortages are exposing medical practitioners to burnt out.
Dr. Osundara revealed that the deceased had also been battling malaria but could not get adequate rest due to the overwhelming pressure on duty, describing the situation as a reflection of neglect of doctors’ welfare and the dangerous practice of stretching manpower beyond human limits.
He therefore called on the government at all levels to urgently address staff-shortages in health sector, improve welfare packages, and enforce better work schedules for medical personnel to prevent further tragedies.
The development has sparked fresh conversations about the state of Nigeria’s healthcare system, the mental and physical toll on doctors, and the increasing wave of medical professionals seeking greener pastures abroad.
-9News Nigeria.
