The Association of Resident Doctors at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) has brought to light various issues in a letter dated September 19, addressed to the hospital’s chief medical director.
In the letter, the doctors raised concerns about alleged bullying by their senior colleagues, the imposition of strenuous call hours without breaks, and inadequate provisions for meals and suitable accommodation.
Titled ‘An Appeal By The House Officers Of LUTH,’ the letter highlighted a tragic incident, stating, “We, the house officers, are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague, a fellow house officer (Dr. Umoh Michael), who passed away on September 17, 2023, after enduring a 72-hour call shift in the Neurosurgery Unit. He had been on a call for 72 hours before returning home on Sunday morning to prepare for church service, but tragically collapsed in the church around 11 am.”
The letter further revealed, “His roommate testified that Umoh Michael had hardly slept in their apartment for the past week, as he was consistently on call. On the days he returned home, it would be around 3 am after performing surgeries and other activities in the Neurosurgery Unit.”
LUTH Doctor di£s after 72-hour non-stop shift. pic.twitter.com/2mrSUmGLi4
— YabaLeftOnline (@yabaleftonline) September 20, 2023
The doctors voiced their grievances, stating, “We have been grappling with longstanding challenges since commencing our housemanship here. One of the most significant challenges is the bullying we face from our senior colleagues, grueling call hours without adequate breaks, lack of meal provisions during calls, and substandard accommodation.”
Among their demands, they urged that “house officers who worked the previous day should either be given half a day off the following day or allowed to commence work by midday,” and that “house officers should not be subjected to continuous 48-hour shifts.”
Furthermore, they called for “the initial health check required at the beginning of the housemanship to be either free or substantially subsidized for house officers” and appealed for their senior colleagues, the senior registrars and registrars, to create a more supportive work environment. They emphasized that house officers should not be assigned tasks typically performed by porters, nurses, or patient relatives.
As of now, Lagos University Teaching Hospital has not provided a response to the concerns raised by the doctors.
