Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has accused Euracare Hospital in Lagos of medical negligence following the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, on January 7.
In a statement confirmed by her media team, Adichie said her son “would be alive today” if not for what she described as serious errors during a medical procedure carried out on January 6.
The family had been in Lagos for the Christmas holidays when Nkanu developed symptoms initially believed to be a cold, which later worsened into a severe infection.
He was admitted to Atlantis Hospital, where plans were made to fly him to the United States on January 7 for further treatment.
According to Adichie, a medical team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore was on standby and requested an MRI scan and a lumbar puncture.
Nigerian doctors also 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 to prevent movement during the MRI and central line insertion.
While waiting outside the operating theatre, she noticed doctors rushing in and immediately sensed that something had gone wrong.
She was later informed that Nkanu had been given an excessive dose of propofol, became unresponsive, and was resuscitated.
He was placed on a ventilator and admitted to the intensive care unit, where he later suffered seizures and cardiac arrest, conditions he had never previously experienced, and died several hours later.
She further alleged that Nkanu was not properly monitored after sedation and that the anesthesiologist carried him without continuous observation, making it unclear when he became unresponsive.
She also claimed that after the central line procedure, the anesthesiologist switched off his oxygen before transporting him to the ICU.
“How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to monitor him?” Adichie asked, describing the actions as a clear violation of standard medical practice.
“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.”
Adichie also claimed the hospital was aware of previous incidents involving the same anesthesiologist and questioned why he was allowed to continue practising.
“This must never happen to another child,” she said.
As of the time of this report, Euracare Hospital has not issued a public response to the allegations.
