The Nigerian Society of Anaesthetists has called for its involvement in the Lagos State Government’s investigation into alleged medical negligence surrounding the death of the son of renowned author Chimamanda Adichie.
The society’s National President, Prof. Alhassan Mohammed, made the call in a statement obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday.
Mohammed commended the decision of the state government to investigate the incident, expressing satisfaction that the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency had commenced the probe 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 the MRI.
“In this regard, the NSA strongly recommends that a senior and experienced physician anaesthetist 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,” he said.
The president assured of the 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 January 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, Adichie, in a write-up that went viral on 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, Governor 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 would face the full wrath of the law, in accordance with existing legal and regulatory frameworks.
NAN
