“How negligence killed my son in Lagos hospital” – Chimamanda Adichie
Award-winning Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has alleged that medical negligence at Euracare Hospital, Lagos, caused the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu, on January 6.
The renowned author, in a statement, said her son, who had initially been treated for what was thought to be a cold, developed a serious infection that required hospitalisation at Atlantis Hospital.
Nkanu was scheduled to travel to the United States the following day for further treatment, with a team from Johns Hopkins waiting in Baltimore, but was referred to Euracare for a lumbar puncture, an MRI, and the insertion of a central line, procedures meant to prepare him for travel.
READ ALSO: Renowned author Chimamanda Adichie loses son
“He was to travel to the US the next day, January 7th, accompanied by Travelling Doctors. A team at Johns Hopkins was waiting to receive him in Baltimore.
“The Hopkins team had asked for a lumbar puncture test and an MRI. The Nigerian team had also decided to put in a ‘central line’ (used to administer IV medications) in preparation for Nkanu’s flight.
“Atlantis hospital referred us to Euracare Hospital, which was said to be the best place to have the procedures done,” the statement read in part.
Upon reaching the hospital, the writer said they were told her son would need to be sedated to prevent him from moving during the MRI and the ‘central line’ procedure.
“I was waiting just outside the theatre. I saw people, including Dr M, rushing into the theatre and immediately knew something had happened.
“A short time later, Dr M came out and told me Nkanu had been given too much propofol by the anesthesiologist, had become unresponsive and was quickly resuscitated.
“But suddenly, Nkanu was on a ventilator; he was intubated and placed in the ICU. The next thing I heard was that he had seizures. Cardiac arrest. All these had never happened before. Some hours later, Nkanu was gone.
“It turns out that Nkanu was never monitored after being given too much propofol. The anesthesiologist had just casually carried Nkanu on his shoulder to the theatre, so nobody knew when exactly Nkanu became unresponsive,” she wrote.
She described the events in the hospital as “criminally negligent,” alleging that the anesthesiologist administered an overdose of propofol without proper monitoring.
Adichie further alleged that the anesthesiologist neglected basic safety protocols, including turning off Nkanu’s oxygen after a procedure and carrying him to the ICU without proper monitoring.
“The anesthesiologist was CRIMINALLY negligent. He was fatally casual and careless with the precious life of a child. No proper protocol was followed.
“We brought in a child who was unwell but stable and scheduled to travel the next day. We came to conduct basic procedures. And suddenly, our beautiful little boy was gone forever. It is like living your worst nightmare. I will never survive the loss of my child, she added.
She claimed the doctor had previous incidents of overdosing children and questioned why the hospital allowed him to continue practising.
The author called for accountability, emphasising that no other child should face a similar fate.
Official messages sent to Euracare Hospital requesting comment on the allegations had not been responded to as of press time.
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