Renowned Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has accused Euracare Hospital, Lagos, of gross medical negligence following the death of her 21-month-old son, Nnamdi Nkanu, during a medical procedure.
Nkanu, one of Adichie’s twin sons, died on Wednesday after suffering a medical emergency while undergoing tests at the hospital.
In an emotional account circulating on social media on Saturday, the award-winning author said her son would still be alive if not for what she described as “criminal negligence” by the hospital and its medical personnel.
According to Adichie, her family was in Lagos for the Christmas holidays when the toddler developed symptoms initially believed to be a common cold, which later worsened into a serious infection.
She said the child was admitted to Atlantis Hospital and arrangements were made for him to be flown to the United States on January 7, accompanied by travelling doctors, with a medical team at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, placed on standby.
She explained that the Johns Hopkins team requested a lumbar puncture and an MRI scan, while the Nigerian doctors planned to insert a central line in preparation for the flight.
Atlantis Hospital subsequently referred the family to Euracare Hospital to carry out the procedures.
Adichie said her son was sedated on the morning of January 6 to prevent movement during the MRI and central line insertion.
“I was waiting just outside the theatre. I saw people, including Dr M, rushing in and immediately knew something had gone wrong,” she recounted.
“A short time later, Dr M came out and told me Nkanu had been given too much propofol by the anaesthesiologist, had become unresponsive and was quickly resuscitated.
“But suddenly, Nkanu was on a ventilator. He was intubated and placed in the ICU. Then I heard he had seizures. Cardiac arrest. All of these had never happened before. Some hours later, Nkanu was gone.”
The author further alleged that her son was not properly monitored after the drug overdose, claiming that the anaesthesiologist had casually carried the child on his shoulder to the theatre, making it unclear when he became unresponsive.
“It turns out that Nkanu was never monitored after being given too much propofol,” she said.
Adichie described the anaesthesiologist as “criminally negligent, fatally casual and careless with the precious life of a child,” adding that the family later learned of two previous cases in which the same doctor allegedly overdosed children.
She questioned why Euracare Hospital allowed the doctor to continue practising, stressing that such an incident “must never happen to another child”.
Confirming the development, Adichie’s representative, Omawumi Ogbe, said the author shared the account privately with family and close friends and did not intend for it to be made public.
“While we are saddened that such a deeply personal account of grief and trauma was leaked, the details highlight the devastating clinical failures the family is now forced to confront,” Ogbe said.
She added that the family hopes public attention remains focused on “the gross medical negligence that led to this tragedy” as they seek accountability.
Efforts to get a response from Euracare Hospital were ongoing as of the time of filing this report.
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
