Doctor’s Fatal Collapse in Church After Marathon 72-Hour Shift at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (Watch)
A tragic incident has occurred at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, where a medical doctor passed away inside a church after reportedly performing a grueling 72-hour surgery without any breaks at the neurosurgery unit.
The Association of Resident Doctors shared this heartbreaking news in a letter dated September 19, which they addressed to the chief medical director of LUTH. In their letter titled ‘A Plea from LUTH’s House Officers,’ they raised concerns about mistreatment, excessive working hours without rest, and inadequate provisions such as meals and suitable accommodation.
The letter expressed:
“We, the house officers, are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague, Dr. Umoh Michael, who tragically passed away on September 17, 2023. He had just completed a 72-hour shift in the Neurosurgery Unit. After returning home on Sunday morning to prepare for church, he collapsed in the church around 11 am.”
His roommate confirmed that Dr. Umoh Michael had barely rested in their shared apartment over the past week due to constant on-call duties, often returning home around 3 am after surgeries and other responsibilities in the Neurosurgery Unit.
The letter also highlighted ongoing challenges faced by the doctors since starting their housemanship at the hospital. They emphasized the need for better working conditions, including reasonable working hours and adequate rest, as well as fair treatment from their senior colleagues.
Among their demands were that house officers who had been on call the previous day should either have a half-day off the next day or begin work at midday, and that house officers should not be required to work continuously for 48 hours. They also requested subsidized house checks at the start of their house job and a more supportive environment from senior colleagues.
As of now, the teaching hospital has not issued a statement regarding this unfortunate incident.