LUTH Doctor Dies After Working 72-Hours Non Stop Shift

A resident doctor at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, who goes by the name Umoh Michael lost his life on Sunday after allegedly working 72 hours non-stop.

According to reports, Michael passed away during a church service at the United Evangelical Church.

Doctors under the aegis of the Association of Resident Doctors, LUTH chapter, in a letter addressed to the Chief Medical Director, LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Lanre Adeyemo, attested to the fact that the young doctor was overworked.

They claimed Michael returned home at about 3:00 a.m. Sunday after a 72-hour shift in the hospital, adding that he had barely slept in their apartment before that day.

The statement partly read, “We the house officers are in deep grief over the loss of our colleague, a co-house officer (Dr Umoh Michael) who died on 17th September, 2023, after having a 72hrs call in the Neurosurgery Unit.

“He is said to have been on call 72hrs before arriving home on Sunday morning to get set for church service, reaching his worship center (United Evangelical Church) where he slumped in the church at about 11 am.”

“His roommate attested to the fact that Umoh Michael had barely slept in their apartment over the past one week as he was always on call or the day he returned home was around 3 a.m. after surgeries and other activities in the Neurosurgery Unit.”

Reacting to the sad incident, LUTH’s Public Relations Officer, Omolola Fakeye, said “It is not true that anybody worked for 72 hours. I have not been briefed about his death.

“We were at a program yesterday (Monday), but I will find out; I can’t say anything now. I will check the medical report of what could have happened because anybody can say anything, but the medical report will show us what happened.”

Tweeps have since taken to X to share their thoughts on the alleged inhumane treatment meted out to the doctors.

A tweep, drfynrekins, tweeted, “I salute my Hippocratic colleague & wish him farewell on his journey to the great beyond. I hope #nmanigeria will come out strongly and protect these young doctors. These deaths are devastating and unacceptable, and it would further deplete the numbers of those practicing in Nigeria and discourage those still in medical school. Unfortunately, the young doctors are the ones bearing the brunt of the decay in the healthcare system in Nigeria but this trend must be stopped.”

Another X user, Doingood, tweeted, “We all need to be resting. Employers should please help us. May his Soul RIP.”