Saraki reacts after doctor died of overwork, advises Tinubu to prioritise health workers welfare 

 

 

Former President of the Nigerian Senate, Olubukola Saraki, has implored President Bola Tinubu-led government to treat the working conditions of doctors and all health care practitioners as a priority.

Making this call in reaction to the report of the death of a medical doctor who died after working for 72 hours non-stop, Mr Saraki lamented the current deplorable state of doctor’s working conditions of medical doctors in Nigeria.

In a tweet on Thursday, he warned that overworking medical doctors in Nigeria was not only posing a threat to their physical and mental health but also jeopardizing the quality of healthcare services which they render.

“This issue of overworking our doctors not only poses a risk to their physical and mental health but also jeopardizes the quality of care they can provide to patients. At this time, it is important that governments at all levels treat the working conditions of our healthcare practitioners as a priority. If we need to address the shortage of doctors, let’s do that. If we need to improve their conditions, let’s find a way,” Mr Saraki wrote.

Last month, when I met with members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), I was deeply troubled by the concerns they raised about the long and arduous hours and challenging work conditions that medical doctors face.

I am just reading about the tragic passing of… https://t.co/DYkn3xliAd

— Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) September 21, 2023

 

According to reports, Michael died during a church service at the United Evangelical Church on September 17. He was said to have worked a 72-hour non-stop shift at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, where he was a resident doctor.

Doctors under the aegis of the Association of Resident Doctors, LUTH chapter, in a letter addressed to the Chief Medical Director, LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Lanre Adeyemo, attested to the fact that the young doctor was overworked.

They claimed Michael returned home at about 3:00 a.m. Sunday after a 72-hour shift in the hospital, adding that he had barely slept in their apartment before that day.