Regulate working hours for doctors – UITH-ARD president

Dr. Mariam Shiru, President, Association of Resident Doctors, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (ARD-UITH), has called for regularisation of working hours with breaks for doctors to avoid fatigue and constant stress.

Shiru, who made the call while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Ilorin, warned that “a tired doctor is a dangerous doctor”.

She pointed out the need to regulate working hours and make provisions for breaks during working hours, “such as it’s done in developed climes”.

According to her, this can reduce fatigue and, hence, errors in patient management by doctors.

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“The healthcare sector in Nigeria is indeed facing numerous challenges that require urgent attention.

“An average Nigerian doctor in a hospital works long hours without breaks, which promotes fatigue and burnout. This calls for regularisation of working hours and providing breaks.

“This is worsened by the chronic shortage of manpower the healthcare system is witnessing,” she said.

Shiru advised government at all tiers to improve and invest in infrastructure and medical equipment in hospitals.

According to her, maintaining an existing infrastructure can help reduce errors and improve diagnosis accuracy.

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“Medical personnel training, providing regular training and capacity-building programs for medical personnel can help reduce errors and improve patient care.

“Implementing quality control measures and establishing robust quality control measures can help detect and prevent the use of expired drugs, incorrect test results, and wrong diagnoses.

“There is need for promoting transparency and accountability within the healthcare system, which can help identify and address issues promptly,” she said.

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The president also observed that leveraging on tele-medicine could help increase access to healthcare services, reduce wait times, and improve patient outcomes.

The medical expert explained that by addressing these challenges, Nigeria’s healthcare sector could be transformed to provide quality, safe and accessible healthcare services to its citizens.