Chimamanda’s son: Anaesthetists society seeks involvement in govt probe

The Nigerian Society of Anaesthetists (NSA) has called for involvement in the Lagos State Government’s investigation of alleged medical negligence surrounding the death of the son of renowned author, Chimamanda Adichie.

Its National President, Prof. Alhassan Mohammed, made the call in a statement obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.

Mohammed commended the decision taken by the government to investigate the incident, expressing delight that the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) has begun the investigation in line with the directives of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

“The alleged medical negligence appears to have centred around the Physician Anaesthetist who is a member of the team that carried out the procedure to facilitate MRI.

“In this regard, the NSA recommends very strongly that a senior and experienced Physician Anaesthetist should be co-opted into the investigative panel for a comprehensive review of the incident.

“This incident is a sad one indeed but we have an opportunity to reflect on the practice of Anaesthesia in Lagos State and Nigeria by diligently implementing the recommendations of the investigative panel.”

The president assured of NSA’s commitment to continue to be guided by its motto: ‘Safety First’.

NAN reports that 21-month-old Nkanu Nnamdi, whom the novelist had with her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, died on Jan. 7 after a brief illness.

A statement issued by Omawumi Ogbe of GLG Communications, said, “The family is devastated by this profound loss, and we request that their privacy be respected during this incredibly difficult time.”

Thereafter, Adiche in a write-up that went viral across social media platforms on Saturday accused Euracare Multispecialist Hospital in Lagos of negligence leading to her son’s death.

According to her, Nkanu, who was billed to be flown abroad for treatment, had developed what was initially thought to be a cold but later turned into “a very serious infection.”

She explained that upon arrival at the hospital on Tuesday, they were told her son would need to be sedated to prevent movement during the MRI and central line procedures.

However, she alleged that her son was not properly monitored after being administered an “excessive dose of propofol” by the hospital’s anaesthesiologist.

According to her, the situation quickly deteriorated, leading to loss of responsiveness, seizures, and cardiac arrest, which eventually resulted in his death on Wednesday.

In response to the write-up, Gov. Sanwo-Olu, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, directed an investigation to unravel the immediate and remote causes of the death.

The government assured the public that any individual or institution found culpable of negligence, professional misconduct, or regulatory violations will face the full wrath of the law, in accordance with existing legal and regulatory frameworks. (NAN)