The Public Health Sustainable Advocacy Initiative (PHSAI) has sounded the alarm over Nigeria’s faltering health system following the death of Dr. Oluwafemi Rotifa, a resident doctor at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital.
Rotifa reportedly collapsed and died after a grueling 72-hour shift, during which he was the sole physician on duty at the hospital’s emergency ward.
PHSAI Chairman, Ayo Adebusoye, described the incident in a statement on Thursday as a tragic reminder of the dangers posed by chronic understaffing, burnout, and the mass exodus of Nigerian doctors.
He called Rotifa’s death a “national wake-up call,” stressing the urgent need for government intervention.
“The loss of Dr. Rotifa is a national wake-up call. Nigeria’s health system is on the brink of collapse. We cannot continue to sacrifice doctors on the altar of neglect. The Federal, State, and Local Governments must act immediately to protect the lives of health workers and patients alike,” he stated.
Adebusoye outlined several urgent reforms, including the recruitment and retention of more health workers, improved welfare, and the enforcement of humane working conditions.
He also called for better pay, health insurance, and support for the families of deceased doctors, as well as increased investment in safe and functional hospital facilities.
“Each delay costs lives—both of doctors and the patients they serve. The time for reform is now,” Adebusoye warned.
The PHSAI chairman pledged the organization’s commitment to partner with government, civil society, and professional associations to build a sustainable and resilient healthcare system.
Late Rotifa, a former president of the Port Harcourt University Medical Students’ Association, was also licensed by the United Kingdom’s General Medical Council. His death, stakeholders noted, highlights a system that demands sacrifice without providing adequate support.
President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Dr. Tope Osundara, said, “The overuse of manpower strained his health and led to this painful death. It was a death on duty.”
Similarly, Vice President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Benjamin Olowojebutu, lamented the excessive workload facing doctors who remain in the country.
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