The Nigerian Society of Anaesthetists (NSA) has called on the Lagos State Government to involve senior anaesthesia professionals in the ongoing investigation into allegations of medical negligence surrounding the death of the son of renowned writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
The call was made by the National President of the society, Prof. Alhassan Mohammed, in a statement obtained on Monday by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Prof. Mohammed commended the Lagos State Government for initiating a probe into the incident, noting that the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) had already commenced investigations in line with the directive of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
According to him, preliminary details suggest that the case involves anaesthetic care provided during medical procedures, making it necessary for the investigative panel to include an experienced physician anaesthetist.
“The alleged medical negligence appears to have centred around the physician anaesthetist, who was part of the medical team that carried out the procedure to facilitate an MRI,” Mohammed said.
“In this regard, the NSA strongly recommends that a senior and experienced physician anaesthetist be co-opted into the investigative panel to ensure a thorough and professional review of the incident.”
He described the incident as tragic but said it presents an opportunity for critical reflection on anaesthesia practice in Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole, urging that the panel’s recommendations be diligently implemented.
The NSA president reaffirmed the society’s commitment to patient safety, stressing that its guiding principle remains “Safety First.”
NAN reports that the deceased, 21-month-old Nkanu Nnamdi, the son of Adichie and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, died on January 7 after a brief illness.
A statement issued by Omawumi Ogbe of GLG Communications said the family was devastated by the loss and appealed for privacy during the period of mourning.
The matter gained widespread public attention after Adichie published a detailed account on social media, accusing Euracare Multispecialist Hospital in Lagos of negligence that allegedly led to her son’s death.
According to her account, the child was initially treated for what appeared to be a cold, which later developed into a severe infection. She said he was scheduled to be flown abroad for treatment and had been admitted for MRI and central line procedures.
Adichie alleged that her son was sedated with an excessive dose of propofol and was not adequately monitored afterward, leading to a rapid deterioration in his condition, including seizures and cardiac arrest, which resulted in his death.
Following the allegations, Governor Sanwo-Olu, through his Special Adviser on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, ordered a comprehensive investigation to determine both the immediate and underlying causes of the incident.
The Lagos State Government assured the public that any individual or institution found culpable of negligence, professional misconduct or regulatory breaches would be dealt with in accordance with the law and existing regulatory frameworks.
