Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has accused Euracare Hospital, Lagos, of criminal negligence following the death of her young son, Nkanu, during a medical procedure on January 6.
In a detailed personal account, Adichie said her son, who had been in Lagos with the family for the Christmas holidays, developed what initially appeared to be a cold but later deteriorated into a serious infection. He was admitted to Atlantis Hospital and was scheduled to be flown to the United States the following day under the care of travelling doctors, with a medical team at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, already prepared to receive him.
According to her, the US-based team requested an MRI scan and a lumbar puncture, while 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 Nkanu was sedated with propofol to prevent movement during the MRI and central line insertion. While waiting outside the theatre, she noticed medical staff rushing in and sensed something had gone wrong.
She alleged that she was later informed her son had been administered an excessive dose of the sedative, became unresponsive and was resuscitated. He was subsequently placed on a ventilator and admitted to the intensive care unit, where he reportedly developed seizures and later suffered cardiac arrest. He died a few hours later.
Adichie further alleged that her son was not properly monitored after sedation and that standard anaesthetic protocols were not followed, describing the conduct of the anaesthesiologist involved as “fatally careless”.
“How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to monitor him?” she asked, adding that oxygen was allegedly switched off after the procedure while the child was being moved.
She said the family later learned of previous cases involving alleged overdosing of children by the same anaesthesiologist, raising questions about institutional oversight and patient safety at the hospital.
Adichie described the loss as devastating, saying her son had been unwell but stable and expected to travel the next day.
As of the time of filing this report, Euracare Hospital had not publicly responded to the allegations. Efforts to obtain an official reaction from hospital management were unsuccessful.
The incident has reignited public debate over patient safety, anaesthetic practices and medical accountability in Nigeria’s private healthcare sector, with calls for thorough investigation to prevent similar tragedies.
Chimamanda Adichie Alleges Medical Negligence in Death of Son at Lagos Hospital
