The body of Dr. Oluwafemi Rotifa, a 28-year-old resident doctor at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), was laid to rest on Friday, September 5, 2025, at the Port Harcourt cemetery.

His burial drew tears and tributes from family, friends, and colleagues who described him as a promising young doctor whose life ended too soon.

Rotifa, a former president of the Port Harcourt University Medical Students’ Association (PUMSA), was reported to have collapsed earlier in the week in the hospital’s call room. Efforts to revive him at the Intensive Care Unit failed.

His death has triggered an outpouring of grief within the medical community and a debate over the working conditions of Nigerian doctors.

Accounts of the circumstances surrounding his passing remain conflicting. Several reports claimed he had worked a gruelling 72-hour stretch in the emergency unit before slumping.

The President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr. Tope Osundara, described the incident as a result of “exhaustion and overuse of manpower,” adding, “He was the only doctor on duty in the emergency room and had been on call for 72 hours. The overuse of manpower and exhaustion killed him. This was a death on duty.”

Osundara called for urgent government reforms to prevent similar tragedies.

“We have warned repeatedly that the burnout among doctors is reaching dangerous levels. Many hospitals are operating with skeletal staff. The few doctors left are overworked, underpaid, and poorly motivated,” he said.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) at the national level echoed this concern, with Vice President Dr. Benjamin Olowojebutu describing the death ’s “heartbreaking and unacceptable,” while urging the government to overhaul welfare policies for healthcare workers.

However, the NMA in Rivers State offered a different account. Its spokesperson, Dr. Siene Orogun, stated that Rotifa was not on call on the night he died but had chosen to remain in the hospital’s call room despite being unwell.

“He was on medication for malaria and permitted to rest. His colleagues found him lifeless in the early hours of the morning,” she explained, adding that he had earlier eaten and watched football with friends before retiring.

The NMA further disclosed that the late doctor had prescribed intravenous quinine for himself when his symptoms persisted. An autopsy ordered by the association is expected to establish the medical cause of death.

Rotifa’s passing has also reignited conversations about Nigeria’s health system crisis. With an estimated doctor-to-patient ratio of 1 to 10,000—far from the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of 1 to 600—many young doctors are said to face overwhelming schedules. Buy vitamins and supplements.

At the graveside in Port Harcourt, colleagues remembered him not only as a dedicated physician but also as a mentor and friend. Tributes poured across social media, where he was fondly called “Femoski.” Many noted that he had recently registered with the UK General Medical Council and was preparing to continue his career abroad before his untimely death.

As his coffin was lowered, the grief in Port Harcourt captured both the personal loss of a promising life and the broader struggles facing Nigeria’s medical community. (Saturday Guardian)

Update news