Outrage as RSUTH Resident Doctor Dies After 72-Hour Shift in Port Harcourt

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Nigeria’s medical community has been thrown into mourning following the tragic death of Dr. Femi Stephen Rotifa, a young surgery resident doctor at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), Port Harcourt, who collapsed after being allegedly forced to work a 72-hour shift without rest.

Dr. Rotifa, popularly known as Femoski, had already completed his normal duty when he reportedly told his superior he wasn’t feeling well and needed to rest. Despite this, the consultant allegedly insisted he continue, citing staff shortages. Hours later, he slumped in the call room. Efforts to rush him to the ICU failed, and he was pronounced dead shortly after. Medical experts say his death was likely the result of malaria combined with extreme exhaustion.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has described the incident as both avoidable and unacceptable, blaming deliberate understaffing, nepotism, and poor working conditions for creating an unsafe environment that endangers both doctors and patients. The association is calling for an independent investigation and urgent reforms.

News of Dr. Rotifa’s passing has sparked outrage nationwide, with Nigerians branding the healthcare system a “graveyard” where young doctors and patients alike lose their lives due to neglect, corruption, and lack of resources. On social media, the hashtag #JusticeForFemoski has been trending, as colleagues and patients recount heartbreaking experiences of how overwork and systemic failure have cost countless lives.

Many argue that Dr. Rotifa’s death could have been prevented if Nigeria’s hospitals were adequately staffed and managed with transparency. His colleagues describe him as brilliant, selfless, and deeply committed to his profession. He was also the former President of the Port Harcourt University Medical Students’ Association (PUMSA), a leader admired by many within the medical community.

For many, his story is not just the loss of a young, promising doctor, but a painful reminder of the state of Nigeria’s healthcare sector—where doctors are pushed to breaking point and patients are left at risk. His death has now become a rallying cry for urgent change in a system long described as collapsing under the weight of corruption and neglect.