LUTH Doctors Threaten Strike As Colleague Slumps, Dies After ‘Being Placed On Duty For Three Days’

Umoh Michael, a medical house officer serving at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, has died.

Truetells Nigeria gathered that the “overworked medical doctor” died on Sunday after he collapsed during church service.

The deceased was said to have worked at a three-day stretch performing operations at the Neurosurgery unit of the federal government-owned health facility before the incident.

“We, the house officers in LUTH on Sunday, September 17 lost one of us; his name is Dr Umoh Michael. He died after having a 72 hours (3 days) call in Neurosurgery Unit.

“Due to shortage of medical doctors, he was on call for good 72 hours without break. When he got home finally on Sunday morning, he immediately went for church service. But on reaching his worship centre, United Evangelical Church, he slumped in the church at about 11am,” one of the aggrieved doctors said.

“His roommate and fellow co-house officer, 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 came home around 3am after surgeries and other activities in Neurosurgery unit.”

He added, “We have long standing challenges since we resumed housemanship here and one most striking challenge is the bullying we receive from our senior colleagues, stressful call hours without breaks in between, no call food; no good accommodation.”

Meanwhile, colleagues of the deceased have declared to embark on a 48-hour strike over his untimely demise.

The strike is expected to begin on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, a letter addressed to the Chief Medical Officer of LUTH and sighted by SaharaReporters read.

The house officers further called for a review of their duties’ schedule in all the units “to allow time for adequate rest and prevent the demise of another house officer.”

The letter read, “Greetings to the Head of Departments, Professors and other Consultants. We hereby notify you on the demise of our beloved brother, friend and colleague Dr. Umoh Michael 2 days ago.

“In view of the above, the House Officers have resolved to the following: To embark on a 48-hour down tools to enable us mourn our colleague beginning from tomorrow, the 20th of September 2023 to 21st, September 2023.

“We also call for a review of the duty schedule of House Officers in all the units; to allow time for adequate rest and prevent the demise of another House Officer. Thank you for your kind consideration always.”

This is coming a few weeks after the death of Diaso Vwaere, another medical doctor, in an elevator accident at General Hospital, Lagos Island.