- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has revealed the tragic death of her son, Nkanu, following a medical procedure at a Lagos hospital.
- The family alleges gross medical negligence, claiming improper sedation and lack of monitoring led to seizures and cardiac arrest.
- The incident has reignited concerns about patient safety and accountability in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has released a heartbreaking statement detailing the circumstances surrounding the death of her young son, Nkanu, following a medical procedure at Euracare Hospital in Lagos.
According to the account, Nkanu had been ill but was stable and scheduled to travel to the United States the following day for advanced medical care. A team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore was reportedly prepared to receive him. As part of preparations for the journey, doctors in Nigeria recommended routine procedures, including an MRI, lumbar puncture, and the insertion of a central line for intravenous medication.
Adichie stated that the family was referred from Atlantis Hospital to Euracare, which was described as the most suitable facility for the procedures. On the morning of January 6, Nkanu was taken to Euracare, carried in his father’s arms. The family was informed that sedation would be required to prevent movement during the procedures.
What followed, according to the statement, was a devastating sequence of events. Nkanu was reportedly given propofol, after which he was neither adequately monitored nor properly supervised. He later suffered seizures and went into cardiac arrest. Within hours, the child was pronounced dead.
“It turns out that Nkanu was NEVER monitored after being given too much propofol,” the statement alleged, adding that no one could determine the exact moment he became unresponsive.
The family further accused the attending anesthesiologist of gross negligence, alleging that proper medical protocols were not followed and that critical safety measures, including oxygen monitoring, were ignored.
“The anesthesiologist was CRIMINALLY negligent. He was fatally casual and careless with the precious life of a child. No proper protocol was followed,” the statement read.
In her emotional words, Adichie captured the depth of the family’s grief:
“We brought in a child who was unwell but stable and scheduled to travel the next day. We came to carry out basic procedures, and suddenly, our beautiful little boy was gone forever. I will never survive the loss of my child.”
The family also claimed to have since learned of previous allegations involving the same anesthesiologist and called for accountability, transparency, and a full investigation into the incident.
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