A Life Cut Short: Nigerian Doctor Dies After 72-Hour Shift, Colleagues Cry Out for Justice

The Nigerian medical community has been thrown into mourning following the tragic death of a young doctor identified as Dr. Femi Rotifa, a surgical resident who reportedly lost his life after working non-stop for 72 hours. His passing has ignited outrage, heartbreak, and renewed calls for reform in the country’s health sector, as colleagues lament what they describe as a culture of overwork and disregard for the wellbeing of medical practitioners. The incident, which has sparked conversations across social media and beyond, highlights the harsh realities faced by doctors in Nigeria who are often pushed to their physical and mental limits under grueling working conditions.

According to reports shared online by a popular medical doctor and social media commentator, The Bearded Dr Sina, the deceased had complained of feeling unwell and requested time off to attend to his health. However, his request was denied, and he was instead made to continue working under extreme pressure, eventually covering a 72-hour stretch without adequate rest. When he finally got a chance to rest, he reportedly collapsed and died, leaving behind a wave of shock among his colleagues and a devastated family. His death has now become a rallying point for doctors and medical advocates who say enough is enough and are demanding justice for him and for countless others who endure similar inhumane working conditions.

Dr Sina, who first shared the heartbreaking news on Twitter, wrote with visible pain and frustration, questioning the system that allows young doctors to be treated as expendable tools rather than valued professionals. “A doctor was overworked in an extreme inconsiderate system. He complained he wasn’t feeling good and wanted to take time off to attend to his health. He was denied rest and stretched to work 72 hours. While resting after, he was said to have later died. He was a Surgery resident and just starting post-NYSC. Is this what medicine has turned to in Nigeria? A system filled with toxicity that has zero regard for its junior colleagues. I call on the government and other stakeholders to investigate this case thoroughly. We demand justice. This doctor should not have died. This is the state of thousands of doctors all over the world in residency training who are constantly humiliated. How many more doctors need to die before the system abolishes these toxic working hours?”

His words, raw and emotional, echo the sentiments of many young doctors across Nigeria who describe their training years as hellish, characterized by endless shifts, little to no rest, and the constant fear of making mistakes that could cost lives—including their own. The tragedy of Dr. Rotifa’s death has shed light not only on the toxic culture within Nigerian medical training but also on the broader systemic failures that plague the nation’s healthcare sector.

The reality is that Nigerian doctors have long been at the mercy of overwhelming workloads. With the mass exodus of medical professionals to countries offering better pay, improved working conditions, and greater respect for the profession, those who remain are left to shoulder an unbearable burden. Hospitals are understaffed, resources are stretched thin, and the expectations placed on doctors often cross the line into outright exploitation. For residents, the situation is even worse, as they find themselves at the bottom of the professional ladder, frequently denied basic rights such as adequate rest and humane working schedules.

The devastating irony in this case is that Dr. Rotifa, a young man who had just begun his post-NYSC journey, was full of promise and dreams of building a career in surgery, one of the most demanding fields in medicine. Instead of being nurtured and guided, he was ground down by a system that failed to value his life, leading to a tragic and preventable death. His story has now become a chilling reminder of the human cost of neglect and inefficiency in Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Reactions have continued to pour in since the news broke, with many Nigerians expressing anger at the toxic work culture that claims the lives of doctors. Some recalled similar stories of colleagues who collapsed on duty, fainted in theaters, or developed chronic health problems as a result of endless hours of labor with little sleep or food. Others pointed out that while doctors are hailed as heroes, their welfare is rarely prioritized, and tragedies like this are treated as footnotes instead of urgent calls for reform.

The death of Dr. Rotifa has also reignited discussions on the mass migration of Nigerian doctors abroad, commonly referred to as “Japa.” Many argue that this toxic culture of overwork is one of the key drivers behind the decision of thousands of Nigerian doctors to leave the country every year for better opportunities in the UK, the US, Canada, and other nations where their expertise is respected and their working hours regulated. For those who stay behind, the risks are painfully evident, as they are often left to fill the gaps created by an overstretched system while sacrificing their health and, in some cases, their lives.

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has in the past raised alarms about the unhealthy working conditions of its members, warning that prolonged neglect could result in further tragedies. Yet, despite repeated strikes and calls for reform, little has changed on the ground. The loss of Dr. Rotifa now places fresh urgency on the government and health institutions to reevaluate their policies and practices before more lives are lost unnecessarily.

This tragic death is not just about one doctor; it is about a broken system that consistently prioritizes workload over wellbeing, service delivery over human life, and tradition over reform. The question now is whether the authorities will take the wake-up call seriously or allow it to be swept under the rug like countless other cases before it. The colleagues, friends, and family of Dr. Rotifa are not just mourning—they are demanding justice, not only for him but for every young doctor who has been silenced by exhaustion, humiliation, and disregard.

As Nigerians continue to share their grief and outrage, the image of a young doctor, full of promise, whose life was cut short by a system that should have protected him, will remain a haunting symbol of the need for urgent reform. For Dr. Rotifa, the future was bright, but it was stolen too soon. For his colleagues still toiling in hospitals across the country, his death is a reminder of their own vulnerability. For the nation, it is a damning indictment of a healthcare system in crisis.

The calls for justice ring louder than ever, but justice in this context must mean more than condolences or investigations. It must mean real, tangible changes—changes that ensure no doctor ever has to work to the point of death again, changes that restore dignity and humanity to the profession, changes that protect those who dedicate their lives to saving others. Until that happens, the memory of Dr. Rotifa will stand as both a tragedy and a rallying cry for all who believe that doctors’ lives matter too.