The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has mourned the death of Salome Oboyi, a senior registrar at Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BHUTH), who died after contracting lassa fever from a patient under her care.
Oboyi, a doctor in the hospital’s obstetrics and gynaecology department, passed away on Monday. In a statement on Thursday, NARD described her death as a “painful reminder of the daily risks doctors take while serving humanity” and “a glaring symbol of a systemic failure that continues to claim the lives of our finest minds in silence.”
The association praised Oboyi for her dedication and selflessness, noting, “She did not die chasing fame. She did not die seeking applause. She died doing her job — saving lives.”
NARD extended condolences to BHUTH management, her colleagues, friends, family, and the Nigerian medical community, urging that her sacrifice not be forgotten and that her story serve as a wake-up call for the nation.
Oboyi’s death adds to the rising number of health workers in Nigeria affected by lassa fever. In 2023, Dr. Idowu Ahmad of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, died after contracting the virus. The Benue State Ministry of Health recently reported that at least four frontline health workers in the state have been infected.
