By Ghazali Ibrahim
Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has alleged grave medical negligence following the death of her young son, Nkanu, after a medical procedure at Euracare Hospital in Lagos on January 6.
In a detailed public statement released days after the incident, Adichie said her son would still be alive if not for what she described as a series of negligent actions by an anesthesiologist during a routine medical referral.
According to her account, the family had travelled to Lagos for the Christmas holidays when Nkanu developed what initially appeared to be a minor cold but later progressed into a severe infection. He was admitted to Atlantis Hospital, where doctors planned for him to be flown to the United States the following day, January 7, under the care of Travelling Doctors. A specialist team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore was reportedly on standby to receive him.
As part of preparations for the transfer, the Hopkins team requested a lumbar puncture and an MRI scan, while the Nigerian medical team decided to insert a central line to administer intravenous medication. Atlantis Hospital subsequently referred the family to Euracare Hospital, described to them as the most suitable facility for the procedures.
Adichie said that on the morning of January 6, her son was taken to Euracare, carried by his father, and was sedated ahead of the MRI and central line insertion. While waiting outside the theatre, she noticed unusual activity and medical staff rushing into the room, which raised immediate concern.
She recounted that a doctor later informed her that Nkanu had been administered an excessive dose of propofol by the anesthesiologist, had become unresponsive, and was resuscitated.
However, she said the situation deteriorated rapidly, with her son placed on a ventilator, transferred to the intensive care unit, and later suffering seizures and cardiac arrest. He died a few hours later.
Adichie alleged that her son was never properly monitored after being sedated and that the anesthesiologist physically carried him without continuous medical observation. She further claimed that oxygen was switched off after the procedure before her son was moved to the ICU.
Describing the incident as “criminally negligent,” Adichie accused the anesthesiologist of failing to follow basic medical protocols and handling a critically ill child with what she termed fatal carelessness.
“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,” she said.
The author also claimed that the family later became aware of at least two previous cases in which the same anesthesiologist allegedly overdosed children, raising questions about hospital oversight and patient safety. She called on Euracare Hospital to explain why the doctor was allowed to continue practising and urged authorities to ensure such an incident never happens again.
As of the time of this report, Euracare Hospital has not publicly responded to the allegations, and it remains unclear whether any official investigation has been launched.
