Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has accused a Lagos hospital of medical negligence in the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi.
According to a report by ARISE News, Adichie personally wrote a statement explaining what happened. Her media team confirmed that the message was originally shared privately with family members and close friends.
In the statement, Adichie said her son died after medical procedures carried out at Euracare Hospital in Lagos. She alleged that her son was sedated for an MRI scan and the insertion of a central line but was not properly monitored afterward, which led to serious complications and his eventual death.
Adichie said her family was in Lagos for Christmas when Nkanu developed what they initially thought was a common cold. The illness later became a serious infection, and he was admitted to Atlantis Hospital.
She explained that plans had already been made for Nkanu to travel to the United States on January 7, accompanied by medical doctors, where a team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore was waiting to receive him. The US doctors requested an MRI scan and a lumbar puncture test before the trip.
According to Adichie, Atlantis Hospital referred them to Euracare Hospital, which they were told was best suited to carry out the procedures. Doctors also decided to insert a central line to prepare the child for the journey.
She said her son was sedated with propofol for the procedures on January 6 while she waited outside the theatre. Shortly after, she noticed medical staff rushing into the operating room and sensed that something had gone wrong.
Adichie said she was later informed that her son had been given too much propofol by the anesthesiologist, became unresponsive, and had to be resuscitated. He was then placed on a ventilator, moved to the intensive care unit, developed seizures, and later suffered cardiac arrest.
“Some hours later, Nkanu was gone,” she said.
She alleged that her son was not properly monitored after being sedated and described the anesthesiologist’s actions as criminally negligent. According to her, no proper medical protocol was followed, and vital care steps were ignored.
Adichie said the family brought a sick but stable child to the hospital for what were meant to be routine medical procedures, only to lose him unexpectedly.
She described the loss as devastating and said she was living through her worst nightmare. She also claimed the family later learned of previous incidents involving the same anesthesiologist.
The allegations have sparked public concern and renewed conversations about patient safety and medical standards in Nigeria.
