Ifunanya: A Tragedy That Unmasked A Broken System

The tragic and preventable death of 28-year-old singer Ifunanya Nwangene, has exposed critical gaps in Nigeria’s health management system, writes health correspondent, PATIENCE IVIE IHEJIRIKA.

The unfortunate incident has reignited national outrage over the country’s worsening snakebite emergency , a crisis fuelled not by medical incompetence, but by a chronic national shortage of anti-venom, the only known life-saving treatment for snake envenomation.

Snakebite remains a major yet neglected public health threat in rural communities across the country. .

While the World Health Organisation (WHO) has set an ambitious global target to reduce snakebite deaths by 50 per cent by 2030, the grim reality in Nigeria points to a deepening crisis driven by acute anti-venom shortages, rising treatment costs, widespread system failures, and persistent first-aid misconceptions that endanger victims even further.

Medical experts continue to blame the country’s high snakebite death rate on the unavailability of anti-venom, stressing that its absence is the primary reason many victims do not survive.

Anti-venom remains the only definitive treatment for snakebite envenomation, yet it is scarce in many health facilities and increasingly unaffordable for vulnerable families who desperately need it.

When Nanyah was bitten by a snake in her home in Abuja, no one imagined it would become a life-threatening emergency. Tragically, two hospitals reportedly turned her away because they had no anti-venom in stock.

The precious time lost during the referral process may have worsened her condition, especially as she arrived at FMC Jabi roughly one hour and 30 minutes later.

Her sister-in-law, Blessing Oduche, told BBC Pidgin, “I don’t know if the security guys didn’t know it was an emergency.

They did not carry her immediately. They stopped attending to her to find the snake, and that wasted time,” she said.

More time was reportedly lost when the vehicle meant to transport her to the hospital failed to start. According to the family, she eventually left the compound on a motorcycle and was taken first to Divine Health Clinic, which referred her elsewhere after confirming they also lacked anti-venom.

“She carried the hand and was running towards the gate. The distance from her house to the gate is long, but she carried her hand to the gate notwithstanding,” Blessing added.

The family stated that the singer was bitten between 8:30 pm and 9:00 pm but did not arrive at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) until about 10:00 pm , a delay of roughly 90 minutes.

They attributed her tragic death to a combination of delayed response, poor first-aid handling, and, most critically, lack of access to life-saving anti-venom.

While many Nigerians have blamed her death on the alleged negligence of healthcare workers, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) insists that the tragedy reflects long-standing failures in the country’s healthcare system rather than the actions of individual medical personnel.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP Sunday,  NARD President, Dr. Mohammad Usman Suleiman, emphasised that the singer’s death should not be blamed on doctors. According to him, the patient was taken to a hospital that had no anti-venom , a scenario he described as a systemic failure rather than a professional lapse.

“Nobody thought of putting her in an ambulance to rush her to a facility where anti-venom was available.

That is a systemic problem. Doctors do not drive ambulances,” he said.

Dr. Suleiman noted that high-quality anti-venom can cost up to ₦300,000 per dose, rendering it unaffordable for most citizens.

He narrated a recent case in which a young woman died 30 minutes after receiving two doses of anti-venom worth ₦340,000 (₦170,000 each at the time). According to him, the distraught father, who could not afford the bill, had to be assisted by the hospital management.

“The father was not only mourning his daughter; he was terrified about how to pay ₦340,000 for the treatment. These are the realities,” he said.

Dr. Suleiman explained that different snake species release different toxins, requiring specific types of anti-venom.

He said monovalent anti-venoms, which target specific toxins, act faster but are more expensive, while polyvalent anti-venoms, which cover multiple snake toxins, are used when the snake type is unknown.

He warned that improper first aid , such as tying tourniquets or cutting the bite area, can worsen tissue damage and increase the risk of long-term complications.

He added that anti-venom itself carries risks and must be administered slowly through an IV drip under close supervision to prevent severe reactions.

He emphasised that until Nigeria fixes supply-chain failures, equips hospitals adequately, and ensures consistent anti-venom availability nationwide, preventable deaths will continue to occur.

“We cannot keep blaming doctors and nurses for a failing system,” he said.

Speaking on common misconceptions, the Medical Director of the Snakebite Treatment and Research Hospital in Kaltungo, Gombe State, Dr. Nicholas Amani-Hamman, cautioned against outdated and dangerous first-aid practices that often worsen injuries and increase the risk of death.

Dr. Amani-Hamman stressed that tying the affected limb, cutting the bite area, or engaging in strenuous activity immediately after a snakebite can accelerate venom spread and cause more damage. “First aid is very important, and the person should be told not to use the affected limb and not to tie the place.

Tying is an old idea. When you tie the limb, you concentrate the venom in one area, block blood supply, and worsen the devastating effect,” he said.

He explained that many victims experience severe tissue damage and avoidable amputations because of these harmful practices.

Also, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) warned that the health system is pushing snakebite victims into a deadly “referral trap.” ACPN Chairman, Pharm. Ambrose Igwekammah Eze, noted that victims waste precious, life-saving time moving from one facility to another, lamenting that Drug Revolving Funds (DRFs) meant to keep hospitals stocked are being mismanaged.

According to him, essential medicines, including anti-venom, are frequently unavailable, and costs continue to rise due to heavy import dependence and weak financing mechanisms.

The association urged the federal government to urgently consider local production of anti-venom to reduce cost, improve availability, and ensure that treatments are specifically tailored to indigenous snake species found in Nigeria.