Medical doctor reportedly dies in church after working 3 days nonstop shift at Lagos hospital

Umoh Michael, a Lagos-based medical doctor working at the state’s University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, collapsed and died in a church after allegedly performing a 72-hour surgery.

The Association of Resident Doctors revealed this in a letter dated September 19 and addressed to LUTH’s main medical director.

In a letter headlined ‘‘An Appeal By The House Officers Of LUTH,” the doctors accused their senior colleagues of bullying, giving them onerous call hours with no breaks, and failing to provide nutrition and adequate accommodation.

The letter read,

“We the house officers are in deep grief over the loss of our colleague, a co-House officer (Dr Umoh Michael) who died on 17th September, 2023, after having a 72hrs call in Neurosurgery Unit. He is said to have been on call 72hrs before arriving home on Sunday morning to get set for church service, reaching his worship center (United Evangelical Church) where he slumped in the church at about 11am.

“His roommate attested to the fact that Umoh Michael has barely slept in their apartment over the past one week as he was always on call or the day he returns home is around 3am after surgeries and other activities in Neurosurgery Unit.”

The protest letter pointed out that the doctors have long standing challenges since they resumed housemanship in the hospital and that one of the most striking challenges they face is the bullying they receive from their senior colleagues, stressful call hours without breaks in between, no call food, no good accommodation.

Below is a copy of the letter: