Nigerian doctors are mourning the death of Dr. Oluwafemi Rotifa, a young resident doctor at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), who reportedly collapsed and died after a gruelling 72-hour call duty.
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The late Rotifa, fondly called “Femoski” by colleagues, was a former President of the Port Harcourt University Medical Students’ Association (PUMSA) and was registered with the United Kingdom’s General Medical Council, awaiting placement abroad.
According to eyewitness accounts, he had been on continuous duty for three days in the Emergency Room before retreating to the call room to rest. It was there he slumped and later died, despite efforts to resuscitate him in the Intensive Care Unit.
Confirming the incident, the President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr. Tope Osundara, described the tragedy as both preventable and a damning reflection of Nigeria’s collapsing health system.
“What happened is that he was on call in the Emergency Room. Afterward, he went to the call room to rest, and it was there that he died. Unfortunately, he was the only one attending to the patients. The overuse of manpower strained his health and led to this painful death. It was a death on duty,” Osundara lamented.
He urged government to urgently support the family of the deceased and overhaul a system that continues to push doctors to exhaustion.
“The burnout among medical doctors, especially resident doctors who man most of the teaching hospitals, is becoming very worrisome. The few doctors left in this country are overworked, underpaid, and poorly motivated. Government must look into remuneration and ensure immediate replacement of doctors who resign or emigrate. Otherwise, this cycle of needless deaths will continue,” he added.
Osundara further warned that patients ultimately suffer the consequences when doctors are pushed beyond their limits. “When a doctor is mentally, physically, and emotionally broken, he cannot render quality care. Patients end up spending unnecessary hours in hospitals, waiting for one doctor to attend to thousands.”
He also highlighted Nigeria’s dire doctor-patient ratio, noting that while the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends 1 doctor to 600 patients, Nigeria struggles with 1 doctor to 10,000 patients.
Since news of Rotifa’s death broke, colleagues and friends have taken to social media to pay tribute, describing him as a diligent, selfless, and passionate doctor whose life was cut short by the very system he served.
Adding its voice, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) described the incident as heartbreaking and unacceptable.
NMA Vice President, Benjamin Olowojebutu, said: “It is extremely sad to lose our doctors in the prime of their work, dying in the line of duty. The workload on the few doctors left in this country has now taken a big blow. Adequate welfare in terms of salaries, allowances, and especially a comprehensive health insurance scheme for every doctor working and living in this country must be prioritised.
“We commiserate with the family of our colleague and his friends. May his gentle soul rest in peace. This death must count for some massive improvement in the health sector.”
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