Nigerian doctor planning UK relocation slumps, dıes after 72-hour work shift

In a heartbreaking and preventable tragedy, a young Nigerian doctor who was preparing to relocate to the UK in search of a greener pasture has died after reportedly collapsing from exhaustion following a 72-hour continuous call duty. The death of Dr. Oluwafemi Rotifa, a resident doctor at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) in Port Harcourt, has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s medical community and ignited fresh outrage over the country’s dire working conditions for healthcare professionals.

Dr. Rotifa, known as “Femoski” to his colleagues, was in his late 20s and had passed his exams to practice in the UK, where he was awaiting placement. He was on a 72-hour shift in the emergency room before collapsing in a call room. Despite efforts to revive him, he died.

The President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr. Tope Osundara, confirmed the event, stating that the “burnout and workload among medical doctors is becoming very worrisome”. He added that the “overuse of manpower strained his health and led to this painful death. It was a death on duty”.

This incident highlights the ongoing issue of Nigerian doctors dying from overwork or in hospital accidents due to manpower shortages and poor working conditions. For many doctors, leaving Nigeria is seen as necessary to escape a dangerous work environment. Dr. Rotifa’s death underscores the human cost of these systemic issues and the difficult choices faced by Nigerian doctors.