A medical doctor, identified as Dr. Umoh Michael died during a Sunday service after allegedly working 72-hour non-stop shift at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH.
According to reports, Michael slumped during a Sunday service at the United Evangelical Church on September 17 after performing a 72-hour surgery without a break at the neurosurgery unit, where he was a resident doctor.
The Association of Resident Doctors, accused their senior colleagues of bullying them, giving them stressful call hours without breaks, and not providing feeding and good accommodation.
The statement read, “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 11 am.
“His roommate attested to the fact that Umoh Michael had barely slept in their apartment over the past one week as he was always on call or the day he returned home was around 3 a.m. after surgeries and other activities in the Neurosurgery Unit.”
However, reacting to the report, the Management of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, debunked the narrative of 72-hours non-stop shift, describing it as false.
The management in a statement said, “He was not on call on the 15th, 16th and 17th (the day he died), contrary to the insinuations on social media. He was at home with his parents on the 16th and 17th of September”.
The statement read partly: “The attention of LUTH Management has been brought to the news going around the social media and other media outlets regarding the death of a house officer in LUTH.
“Dr. Umoh died on Sunday 17th September 2023 while in church with his parents. The management was informed, and the death was later confirmed by one of the Consultants in his unit (Neurosurgery).
“Before this time, he was on call on the 7th and 8th of September, 2023. This shows that Dr Umoh was on call for a total number of 4 days in September 2023.
A delegation from LUTH visited the family on Wednesday 20th September 2023, to commiserate with the family and to get more details of the circumstances surrounding his death. “The parents gave the details of what they thought must have contributed to his death but pleaded that the wish of the family is respected and that the narrative is not for public consumption. However, the family is saddened by the misinformation regarding the death of their beloved son on social media and other media outlets.
Dr. Umoh was a hardworking and diligent house officer and a very promising young man. He will be sorely missed by his friends and colleagues. May his soul rest in peace, and may the Almighty give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss,” LUTH Management said.
