Doctor dies on duty after working 72 hours non-stop in Rivers hospital. NARD and NMA demand urgent reforms to prevent future tragedies

Doctor dies on duty after enduring a brutal 72-hour shift at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, sparking nationwide outrage among healthcare professionals.

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The late Dr. Oluwafemi Rotifa, a resident doctor fondly known as “Femoski,” reportedly collapsed after retiring to the call room to rest, following three consecutive days on emergency duty.

Despite immediate attempts to revive him, he was pronounced dead in the ICU.

Dr. Rotifa, a former President of the Port Harcourt University Medical Students’ Association, had recently been registered with the UK General Medical Council and was planning to relocate abroad for placement.

The President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr. Tope Osundara, confirmed the incident, labeling it a preventable tragedy caused by systemic failure and manpower exhaustion.

“He was the only doctor on duty in the emergency room and had been on call for 72 hours. The overuse of manpower and exhaustion killed him. This was a death on duty,” Osundara said.

He criticized the government for ignoring repeated warnings about the burnout crisis in Nigeria’s health sector.

“We have warned repeatedly that the burnout among doctors is reaching dangerous levels. Many hospitals are operating with skeletal staff. The few doctors left are overworked, underpaid, and poorly motivated.”

Osundara called for immediate compensation to Dr. Rotifa’s family and the enforcement of strict staffing policies to avoid excessive shifts.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) also expressed deep sorrow.

Its Vice President, Dr. Benjamin Olowojebutu, described the incident as “heartbreaking and unacceptable.”

He was the only doctor on duty in the emergency room and had been on call for 72 hours. The overuse of manpower and exhaustion killed him.

“It is extremely frustrating that doctors are dying in the prime of their lives due to excessive workload. We must prioritise comprehensive health insurance, salaries, allowances, and regulated working hours for all doctors,” he stated.

According to the World Health Organisation, the global benchmark doctor-to-patient ratio is 1:600.

However, the NMA estimates Nigeria’s ratio at a shocking 1:10,000, reflecting a massive healthcare manpower gap.

Dr. Rotifa’s death has reignited the conversation on the “Japa” syndrome—the mass exodus of Nigerian doctors to countries with better working conditions.

Many say that the system he loyally served ultimately betrayed him.

Social media platforms have been flooded with tributes from friends, colleagues, and former classmates who described him as a dedicated, humble, and selfless professional.

Healthcare unions and civil society organisations have renewed calls for the government to act decisively by increasing healthcare funding, ending exploitative work schedules, and hiring more personnel to ease the burden on the few who remain.

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Until such reforms are implemented, advocates warn that more promising lives like Rotifa’s will be needlessly lost to a broken system.