Michael Umoh: LUTH breaks silence on doctor who died after 72-hour work shift

The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) management has refuted claims that Dr. Michael Umoh, one of its medical doctors, passed away after a grueling 72-hour work shift.

The reports stated that Michael died during a church service on September 17, allegedly after continuously working for 72 hours at the hospital.

Doctors under the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) had accused the LUTH management of being responsible for his demise, asserting that it resulted from overwork due to long, uninterrupted duty hours.

However, the hospital management strongly contested these allegations, clarifying that Dr. Umoh was not on call for three days before his passing. Contrary to social media claims, he had been on call on the 7th and 8th of September.

LUTH described Dr. Umoh as a hardworking and diligent house-officer and emphasized that the narrative of a 72-hour non-stop shift was inaccurate. The hospital shared that the last time he was on call was on the 13th and 14th of September, and he was at home with his parents on September 16 and 17, the day he passed away.

A delegation from LUTH visited the family to extend condolences and gather further details about the circumstances surrounding his death. The family requested privacy, and the hospital urged for the family’s wish to be respected, expressing their condolences and praying for peace for the departed soul and strength for the grieving family.