Overworked Doctor Collapses, Dies

A resident doctor, Oluwafemi Rotifa, tragically collapsed and passed away following an arduous 72-hour shift at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH).

Reports indicate that Rotifa succumbed after seeking respite in the call room on Monday. Despite resuscitation efforts in the intensive care unit, he could not be revived.

The young doctor’s demise has drawn attention to the relentless demands placed on medical professionals, as he had been on continuous call duty for three consecutive days.

The president of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Tope Osundara, confirmed the incident to the press and decried the excessive workload faced by doctors in Nigerian hospitals.

“The burnout and workload among medical doctors are increasingly alarming,” Osundara lamented. “We have voiced our concerns repeatedly. The resident doctor was on call in the emergency room, and the workload proved to be overwhelming. He had just reviewed a patient and had retired to the call room to rest when he was discovered sprawled on the floor, presumably having fallen from the bed.”

Osundara highlighted that some doctors endure an entire month of on-call duties. “Ideally, no one should be subjected to even 24-hour shifts. We later learned he was battling malaria, yet in Nigeria, adults typically do not succumb to malaria as it is endemic.

Despite his illness, he continued to attend to patients,” he explained. “The excessive demands on his physical well-being ultimately led to this tragic outcome. His untimely death resulted from overexertion.”

He urged the government to address the staffing shortage, enhance welfare packages, and implement humane work schedules for doctors.