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The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has raised concerns over the safety of healthcare workers following the death of one of its members, Salome Oboyi.
Ms Oboyi, a senior registrar in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BHUTH), Jos, Plateau state, died on 2 February, after contracting Lassa fever while caring for a patient.
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Her death comes amid a rising number of Lassa fever infections in Nigeria, including cases involving healthcare workers.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), four health workers were infected with Lassa fever as of the third week of 2026, while 24 were affected in 2025.
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As of week three of 2026, Nigeria has recorded 405 suspected Lassa fever cases, with 93 confirmed infections across 28 local government areas in nine states. The outbreak has led to 17 deaths so far, with a case fatality rate of 18.1 per cent.
Death in the line of duty
In a statement dated 5 February and signed by its president, Mohammad Suleiman, NARD described the doctor’s death as “tragic and untimely. ”
The association said her death was not accidental but a consequence of systemic failures within Nigeria’s healthcare system.
“As a Senior Registrar, she stood at the core of maternal and reproductive healthcare delivery, working long hours, responding to emergencies, mentoring junior doctors, and saving lives,” NARD said.
The association added that Ms Oboyi died while carrying out her professional duty, describing her death as a reflection of the risks doctors face daily in poorly protected work environments.
Unsafe working conditions
NARD said doctors across Nigeria continue to work in high-risk settings marked by inadequate personal protective equipment, weak infection prevention and control measures, delayed diagnosis of infectious diseases, and poor occupational health structures.
According to the association, managing Lassa Fever is a high-risk assignment, often carried out in resource-constrained settings with inadequate protective equipment, weak institutional safeguards, and little assurance of support if the worst happens.
“Doctors show up despite knowing that a single exposure may cost them their lives,” the association said.
It added that when doctors die in the line of duty, families are left grieving, colleagues are demoralised, and the health system moves on without addressing the underlying problems.
Call for accountability, compensation
NARD called on the Nigerian government at all levels to take responsibility for the death of Ms Oboyi and recognise it as an occupational hazard.
The association demanded urgent and adequate compensation for her family, warning that failure to do so would amount to “a grave injustice.”
It also called for improved workplace safety for healthcare workers, stronger infection prevention and control systems, functional health insurance, and prompt compensation for healthcare workers who die while on duty
“Protecting doctors is not a favour; it is a responsibility,” the association said.
Public concern
The association expressed concern over what it described as unequal public attention given to the deaths of healthcare workers compared to entertainers and politicians.
It said the frequent silence that follows the deaths of doctors raises questions about whose lives are valued in the country.
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NARD urged the public to show solidarity with healthcare workers, noting that doctors are relied upon during childbirth, emergencies, and disease outbreaks.
“When doctors die silently, healthcare becomes more fragile, and lives that could have been saved in the future are lost,” the statement said.
The association said Ms Oboyi’s death should prompt urgent action and policy change, rather than silence.
“We mourn her not only with tears, but with a demand for change,” NARD said.
It also commiserated with the management of Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Ms Oboyi’s colleagues, friends, family, and the Nigerian medical community.
