Medical Doctor Slumps, Dies After Working 72-Hours Nonstop At LUTH

The Association of Resident Doctors has conveyed their concerns in a letter dated September 19, addressed to the Chief Medical Director of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

VerseNews reports that the doctors have accused their senior colleagues of engaging in bullying behavior, subjecting them to strenuous call hours without breaks, and failing to provide adequate meals and suitable accommodation.

The letter highlights the tragic death of a fellow house officer, Dr. Umoh Michael, who passed away on September 17, 2023, after completing a 72-hour call in the Neurosurgery Unit. Dr. Michael had returned home early in the morning to prepare for church service and collapsed at his place of worship.

It is mentioned in the letter that Dr. Michael’s roommate testified that he had scarcely slept in their apartment over the past week due to constant calls and late-night surgical procedures in the Neurosurgery Unit.

The doctors express their ongoing challenges since beginning their housemanship at LUTH, which include bullying from senior colleagues, grueling call hours without breaks, absence of food during calls, and substandard accommodation.

They make specific demands, including allowing house officers who completed calls the previous day to have either a half-day or a midday start the following day and ensuring that house officers do not work for 48 hours consecutively.

The doctors also request that the mandatory house check at the start of their house job be offered for free or at a substantial discount.

They emphasize that senior colleagues should create a more hospitable working environment for house officers, without them having to perform tasks typically assigned to porters, nurses, or patient relatives.