Outrage Over Chimamanda Son’s Death

‘This Must Never Happen To Another Child’

Doctor breaks down Chimamanda’s statement  |  Euracare denies negligence as association, Lagos promise probe  |  ‘My Son Would Be Alive Today If Not For An Incident At Euracare Hospital On January 6’

We were in Lagos for Christmas. Nkanu had what we first thought was just a cold, but soon turned into a very serious infection and he was admitted to Atlantis hospital.

He was to travel to the US the next day, January 7th, accompanied by Travelling Doctors. A team at Johns Hopkins was waiting to receive him in Baltimore. The Hopkins team had asked for a lumbar puncture test and an MRI. The Nigerian team had also decided to put in a ‘central line’ (used to administer iv medications)  in preparation for Nkanu’s flight. Atlantis Hospital referred us to Euracare Hospital, which was said to be the best place to have the procedures done.

The morning of the 6th, we left Atlantis hospital for Euracare, Nkanu carried in his father’s arms.

We were told he would need to be sedated to prevent him from moving during the MRI and the ‘central line’ procedure.

I was waiting just outside the theater. I saw people, including Dr M, rushing into the theater and immediately knew something had happened.

A short time later, Dr M came out and told me Nkanu had been given too much propofol by the anesthesiologist, had become unresponsive, and was quickly resuscitated. But suddenly, Nkanu was on a ventilator; he was intubated and placed in the ICU. The next thing I heard was that he had seizures.

Cardiac arrest. All these had never happened before. Some hours later, Nkanu was gone

It turns out that Nkanu was NEVER monitored after being given too much propofol. The anesthesiologist had just casually carried Nkanu on his shoulder to the theater, so nobody knew when exactly Nkanu became unresponsive.

How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to monitor him? Later, after the ‘central line’ procedure, the anesthesiologist casually switched off Nkanu’s oxygen and again decided to carry him on his shoulder to the ICU!

The anesthesiologist was CRIMINALLY negligent. He was fatally casual and careless with the precious life of a child. No proper protocol was followed.

We brought in a child who was unwell but stable and scheduled to travel the next day. We came to conduct basic procedures. And suddenly, our beautiful little boy was gone forever. It is like living your worst nightmare. I will never survive the loss of my child.

We have now heard about two previous cases of this same anesthesiologist overdosing children. Why did Euracare allow him to keep working? This must never happen to another child”.

A paediatric surgeon at the National Hospital Abuja, Dr. Emmanuel Ameh, responded to the key issues raised in Chimamanda Adichie’s letter

What is a lumbar puncture? A paediatric surgeon at the National Hospital, Abuja, Dr Emmanuel Ameh, explained that a lumbar puncture is a procedure in which a needle is inserted into the space within the spinal cord that contains cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). A small amount of this fluid is withdrawn and analysed to determine if there is any infection.
According to him, the most common reason for performing a lumbar puncture, especially in children, is to check for meningitis.

Who is an Anesthesiologist: Dr Ameh explained that an anesthesiologist is a specialist responsible for providing anaesthesia, pain control, and critical care. “They are the experts who put patients to sleep or numb specific areas of the body to prevent pain during medical procedures. While adults may sometimes only require local anaesthesia, for children, it is generally safer for them to be fully asleep or sedated during most procedures,” he said.

What is Propofol: Dr Ameh described it as a medication commonly used to provide sedation and a degree of anaesthesia, allowing painful procedures to be carried out safely and comfortably.