Renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has alleged medical negligence in the death of her son Nkanu Nnamdi Esege, saying he would still be alive but for what occurred at Euracare Hospital in Lagos.
In a statement released which the author initially sent to her family alone, and seen by Dockaysworld on Thursday, Adichie said her son fell critically ill while the family was in Lagos for Christmas and was admitted to Atlantis Hospital after what initially appeared to be a cold developed into a serious infection.
She explained that Nkanu was scheduled to travel to the United States on January 7, accompanied by travelling doctors, with a medical team at Johns Hopkins Hospital already prepared to receive him.
According to Adichie, doctors requested a lumbar puncture, an MRI, and the insertion of a central line in preparation for the trip, prompting Atlantis Hospital to refer the child to Euracare Hospital for the procedures.
She said Nkanu was sedated on January 6 to prevent movement during the MRI and central line insertion, but shortly after, medical staff rushed into the theatre, raising alarm.
Adichie stated that she was later informed her son had been given an excessive dose of propofol by the anesthesiologist, became unresponsive, and was resuscitated.
She said Nkanu was subsequently intubated, placed on a ventilator, moved to the ICU, and later suffered seizures and cardiac arrest, conditions she noted he had never experienced before.
The author alleged that her son was never properly monitored after being sedated and described the anesthesiologist’s actions as “criminally negligent,” claiming no standard medical protocols were followed.
She further alleged that the anesthesiologist later switched off her son’s oxygen after the procedure and carried him to the ICU without adequate monitoring.
Adichie said the family has since learned of two previous cases involving the same anesthesiologist overdosing children and questioned why the hospital allowed him to continue practising.
“This must never happen to another child,” she said, calling for accountability over the incident.
Read full statement below:
“My son would be alive today if not for an incident at Euracare Hospital on January 6th.
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.”