The Nigerian Society of Anaesthetists (NSA) has called for its involvement in the Lagos State Government’s investigation into alleged medical negligence surrounding the death of the son of renowned author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
The society’s National President, Prof. Alhassan Mohammed, made the call in a statement obtained by reporters on Monday.
Mohammed commended the Lagos State Government for initiating an investigation into the incident, expressing satisfaction that the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) had commenced the probe in line with the directive of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
He noted that the alleged negligence appeared to centre on the physician anaesthetist who was part of the medical team that conducted the procedure to facilitate an MRI scan.
“In this regard, the NSA strongly recommends that a senior and experienced physician anaesthetist be co-opted into the investigative panel to ensure a comprehensive and professional review of the incident,” he said.
Mohammed described the incident as deeply unfortunate but said it presented an opportunity to reflect on anaesthesia practice in Lagos State and across Nigeria through the diligent implementation of the panel’s recommendations.
He reaffirmed the NSA’s commitment to patient safety, stressing that the association would continue to uphold its guiding principle of “Safety First”.
It was reported that 21-month-old Nkanu Nnamdi, the son of the novelist and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, died on Jan. 7 after a brief illness.
In a statement issued by Omawumi Ogbe of GLG Communications, the family said it was devastated by the loss and appealed for privacy during the difficult period.
Subsequently, Adichie, in a write-up that went viral on social media on Saturday, accused Euracare Multispecialist Hospital, Lagos, of negligence that allegedly led to her son’s death.
According to her account, Nkanu, who was scheduled to be flown abroad for treatment, initially developed what appeared to be a cold but later deteriorated into a severe infection.
She said that upon arrival at the hospital on Tuesday, doctors informed the family that the child would need to be sedated to prevent movement during the MRI scan and central line procedures.
Adichie alleged that her son was not properly monitored after being administered what she described as an excessive dose of propofol by the hospital’s anaesthesiologist.
She claimed that the child’s condition rapidly worsened, resulting in loss of responsiveness, seizures and cardiac arrest, which eventually led to his death on Wednesday.
In response, Gov. Sanwo-Olu, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, ordered an investigation to determine the immediate and remote causes of the death.
The Lagos State Government assured the public that any individual or institution found culpable of negligence, professional misconduct or regulatory violations would face appropriate sanctions in line with existing laws and regulatory frameworks.
