Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has spoken publicly for the first time about the death of her young son.
In an article by Ugo Egbujo, she described what she alleges was a series of medical failures at a private hospital in Lagos.
News of the child’s death was first disclosed by a family relative.
In a detailed account released recently and published by Egbujo, Adichie said her son, Nkanu, would still be alive “but for an incident” that occurred at Euracare Hospital on 6 January.
According to her statement, the family had travelled to Lagos for Christmas when the child developed what initially appeared to be a mild illness but later worsened. He was admitted to Atlantis Hospital, where doctors planned his transfer to the United States for specialist care the following day.
Ms Adichie said a medical team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore was expecting her son and had requested diagnostic tests, including an MRI scan and a lumbar puncture.
She said Atlantis Hospital referred the family to Euracare Hospital to carry out the procedures, as well as the insertion of a central line ahead of the planned flight.
On the morning of 6 January, she said her son was taken to Euracare Hospital and sedated ahead of the procedures. Ms Adichie said she was waiting outside the operating theatre when she noticed medical staff rushing inside.
She said she was later informed that her son had become unresponsive after being given an anaesthetic drug and was resuscitated.
He was subsequently placed on a ventilator and transferred to the intensive care unit. Ms Adichie said her son later developed seizures and suffered cardiac arrest. He died several hours later.
Speaking further, the writer alleged that her son was not properly monitored after sedation and that established medical protocols were not followed.
She also raised concerns about the conduct of the anaesthesiologist involved, describing it as “criminally negligent”.
Adichie further claimed that she has since learned of previous cases in which children were allegedly overdosed by the same doctor, questioning why he was allowed to continue practising.
Full details:
Sorrow! My son would be alive today if not for an incident at Euracare Hospital on January 6th – Celebrated Icon, Chimamanda
We were in Lagos for Christmas. Nkanu had what we first thought was just a cold, but soon turned into a very serious infection and he was admitted to Atlantis hospital.
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 morning of the 6th, we left Atlantis hospital for Euracare, Nkanu carried in his father’s arms. We were told he would need to be sedated to prevent him from moving during the MRI and the ‘central line’ procedure.
I was waiting just outside the theater. I saw people, including Dr M, rushing into the theater 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 theater, so nobody knows when exactly Nkanu became unresponsive.
How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to monitor him? Later, after the ‘central line’ procedure, the anesthesiologist casually switched off Nkanu’s oxygen and again decided to carry him on his shoulder to the ICU!
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.
We have now heard about two previous cases of this same anesthesiologist overdosing children. Why did Euracare allow him to keep working? This must never happen to another child.
Ugo Egbujo
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