In a heartbreaking public statement, renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has made grave allegations of medical negligence against a Lagos hospital following the death of her young son.
A Christmas Holiday Turns to Tragedy
The family's ordeal began during a Christmas visit to Lagos. Chimamanda Adichie's 21-month-old son, Nkanu, fell ill with what seemed like a common cold. His condition, however, deteriorated into a serious infection, leading to his admission at Atlantis Hospital in Lagos.
Doctors there assessed the toddler as unwell but stable. Plans were swiftly made to airlift him to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, USA, on January 7. A specialized medical team was scheduled to accompany him on the flight.
Fatal Procedures at Euracare Hospital
Prior to the medical evacuation, the Johns Hopkins team requested an MRI and a lumbar puncture. The Nigerian medical team also decided to insert a central line to aid medication administration during travel. Atlantis Hospital referred the family to Euracare Hospital, describing it as the best-equipped facility in Lagos for these procedures.
On the morning of January 6, the child was transferred to Euracare. Due to his age and condition, he required sedation for the MRI and central line insertion. Adichie waited anxiously outside the theatre.
Her fears were realized when she noticed medical staff, including a doctor she identifies as Dr. M, rushing into the theatre. She was later informed that the anaesthesiologist had administered an excessive dose of propofol, a powerful sedative, causing her son to become unresponsive.
The situation escalated rapidly. The child had to be resuscitated, placed on a ventilator, intubated, and moved to the Intensive Care Unit. He then suffered seizures and cardiac arrest—complications he had never experienced before. A few hours later, he was pronounced dead.
Allegations of Protocol Failures and Criminal Negligence
Adichie's statement outlines several critical failures. She alleges that after the excessive sedation, no one was actively monitoring her son. She claims the anaesthesiologist casually carried the sedated child on his shoulder into the theatre, meaning no one could pinpoint when he became unresponsive.
"How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to monitor him?" Adichie asked in her emotional account.
She further alleges that after the central line procedure, the same anaesthesiologist switched off the boy's oxygen before again carrying him on his shoulder to the ICU. Adichie describes these actions as a complete disregard for standard medical protocols and labels the conduct "criminal negligence."
Broader Patient Safety Concerns Raised
Beyond her personal tragedy, Adichie raised alarming questions about systemic oversight at the hospital. She claims the involved anaesthesiologist had a history, having overdosed other children in at least two separate prior incidents.
Her poignant question strikes at the heart of hospital accountability: if this was known, why was he still permitted to practice at Euracare? "This must never happen to another child," she implored.
Chimamanda Adichie's detailed, precise account paints a devastating picture of alleged lapses in basic care. Her central claim is unambiguous: her son would likely be alive if fundamental medical standards had been followed. The incident has sparked a national conversation about patient safety and medical accountability in Nigeria's healthcare system.
"It is like living your worst nightmare," she wrote. "I will never survive the loss of my child." A family now mourns a life cut brutally short, and a nation is left confronting urgent, unanswered questions.
