The Exhausted Doctor!

That any piece of machinery, or indeed any organic being as of necessity, needs periodic breaks to rest and replenish its stores needs no further emphasis.

The global tendency to overwork young doctors and its consequences have just been highlighted by the recent Mexican and British instances to this effect.

In an earlier article, I described these "unholy marathon call duties of doctors ....where days just dovetail into one another as the doctor loses count on time like a prisoner in solitary confinement!"

That the usual response by medical boards is to subject these doctors to punitive measures sorely betrays the medical skills expected of these prosecutors and judges of victims whose plight is brought about by the peers of such board members! For as senior doctors themselves, they should know better!

This article should further draw the attention of medical bullies and sundry authorities to the risk of decision fatigue in the overworked doctor as he is made to do 110-hour straight shifts called call duties without on-duty rest or off days or even off hours after this long haul! The danger is: he either succumbs to the physical and mental exhaustion...and makes wrong decisions, becomes irritable and angry, becomes ill, is overwhelmed with sadness...or drops off to sleep at critical times!

I hereby repeat: That "The accusers and prosecutors of these doctor have done them great injustice....tons and tons of it....for they had all slept on call duties before!"

Well, as a patient, it is your life that such doctor....and such system endangers!

Responsible and discerning members of the public are thus enjoined to be outraged by this monumental tragedy of sorts!

It is, to my humble opinion and reckoning, a time-bomb just waiting to explode!

Dr Tosin Akindele is a medical practitioner and public affairs analyst.