Resident doctor dies while receiving malaria medication

The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in Rivers State has confirmed that one of its member, Dr Oluwafemi Rotifa died in the call of the hospital, contrary to media reports that he collapsed and died while on duty after “a 72-hour shift” in a hospital

Penpushing reports that spokesperson of the association Dr Siene Orogun while faulting the media report explained that Rotifa, working as medical doctor with Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt was not feeling well and was off duty, but preferred to be at the hospital by the time he passed on.

The spokesperson added that he (Rotifa) was in the call room designated space for hospital staff to rest while on duty, but was not working the night he passed on, stressing that if he had been working in the hospital wards, people would have seen him when he collapsed.

Penpushing further reports she said the doctor was not feeling well and was permitted to be off duty, but he preferred to be around his colleagues at the hospital, adding that he watched football matches and ate together with his colleagues in the call room before the others left him there.

“But nobody saw him because he was alone in the call room. Even his mom wanted him to come home, but he said he just preferred to be in the call room, at least when the guys go to work, they will come into the call room and gist and play together,” she said.

“The colleagues went to attend to patients in the accident and emergency ward, and by the time they came in around 2 a.m., they met him lifeless in the call room. We have been reading a lot of stories since Femi (Rotifa) died. But the truth is, he was on medication for three days, so we allowed him to rest,” she said.

Penpushing also reports that the spokesperson of the association stated that Rotifa was given a malaria injection, but he prescribed intravenous quinine, a recommended World Health Organisation (WHO), an alternative to injectable artesunate and injectable artemether for the treatment of severe malaria for himself when his health did not improve

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