Investigation Launched Following Death of Adichie’s Toddler

The management of Euracare Multispecialist Hospital has initiated a high-level internal probe into the tragic passing of 21-month-old Nkanu Nnamdi, the son of world-renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This move follows a harrowing public account shared by the writer on Saturday, in which she detailed a series of alleged professional failures and “criminal negligence” that she believes led to her son’s untimely death. The incident has sent shockwaves through the Nigerian healthcare sector, sparking an intense debate over patient safety and medical accountability in private facilities.

According to Adichie’s detailed testimony, her son had contracted what initially appeared to be a common cold during the festive season, which later escalated into a serious infection. After an initial admission at Atlantis Hospital in Lekki, the family made arrangements for a medical evacuation to the United States. A specialist team at Johns Hopkins Hospital was reportedly on standby to receive the child, but they required an MRI scan and the insertion of a central line to be performed in Nigeria before the flight could take place.

The family was directed to Euracare, a facility touted as one of the few capable of handling such delicate procedures for a toddler. Adichie recounted that upon arrival on Tuesday, she was informed that Nkanu would need sedation to ensure he remained still during the imaging. It was at this juncture, she alleges, that the situation spiraled into a nightmare. The author claims the anaesthesiologist administered an excessive dose of propofol, a potent sedative, and then failed to monitor the child’s vital signs.

Describing the scene outside the operating theater, Adichie spoke of the moment her intuition signaled disaster as medical staff began rushing into the room. She alleged that a senior doctor later admitted to her that the child had become unresponsive due to the sedative but claimed he had been successfully resuscitated. However, the recovery was short-lived. Nkanu was placed on a ventilator and moved to the Intensive Care Unit, where he suffered a series of seizures and a fatal cardiac arrest just hours later.

The most damning of Adichie’s allegations centered on the conduct of the anaesthesiologist. She claimed that rather than placing her son on the necessary monitoring equipment after sedation, the medic was seen carrying the child on his shoulder. Furthermore, she alleged that the child’s oxygen supply was switched off prematurely following the procedure. These claims have painted a picture of a catastrophic breakdown in basic clinical protocols, leading Adichie to question why a professional with a supposedly troubled track record was still allowed to practice at the facility.

In a swift rebuttal, Euracare Multispecialist Hospital issued a statement expressing profound sympathy for the family’s loss while firmly denying any claims of negligence. The hospital’s management argued that the child was already in a “critically ill” state upon arrival, having spent over a week in two different pediatric centers prior to being referred to their facility. They maintained that their team acted in accordance with internationally accepted clinical standards and provided all necessary support requested by the family’s external consultants.

The hospital clarified that the patient’s death occurred less than 24 hours after he was presented at their facility, suggesting that the underlying severity of the infection played a significant role in the outcome. Despite this defense, Euracare confirmed that a “detailed investigation” is now underway within its clinical governance framework. The facility has pledged to cooperate fully with regulatory bodies to determine the exact sequence of events that led to the child’s passing, emphasizing their commitment to patient safety and transparency.

The tragedy has resonated deeply across social media, where thousands have shared Adichie’s post, calling for a thorough independent inquiry. Many have pointed to the incident as a symptom of a broader crisis in the Nigerian healthcare system, where even premium private hospitals are facing scrutiny over the quality of specialized care. The author’s decision to go public has transformed a private family mourning into a national conversation about the rights of patients and the standards of medical practice in the country.

As the internal probe begins, the focus remains on the specific actions of the anaesthesia team and the monitoring equipment used during the procedure. For the Adichie family, the loss is an “unbearable void.” The author noted that her son was stable and preparing for a flight that could have saved his life, only to be lost during a routine diagnostic check. The outcome of this investigation is expected to be a landmark case for medical litigation and reform in Nigeria’s private health sector.