Online Reporter
LAGOS. – Nigeria’s medical council has provisionally suspended the director of a private hospital and two other doctors following the death of the 21-month-old son of renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Nkanu Adichie-Esege, one of twins, died on 7 January after complications arose during preparatory medical procedures at Euracare Hospital in Lagos.
The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) investigation panel established a prima facie case of medical negligence against Euracare and Atlantis Hospital over the child’s management.
The three doctors have all been suspended from practising medicine pending the determination of their cases by a disciplinary tribunal.
Dr Munir Bature, publicity secretary for the Nigeria Medical Association, confirmed the suspensions to the BBC.
“What will ultimately happen to those affected will be determined after another panel sits on their case,” he said.
He added that they could permanently lose their licences.
The doctors have not commented.
Butare encouraged Nigerians to report any perceived wrongdoing by medical personnel so the council could intervene.
The family of Adichie had accused the hospital of negligence, alleging that medics denied oxygen to her son and administered excessive sedation, which they say led to cardiac arrest.
In a statement, the hospital expressed its “deepest sympathies” over the child’s death but denied any wrongdoing.
An inquest into Nkanu’s death is due to begin on 14 April at the Yaba Magistrate Court in Lagos.
The coroner will hear from medical experts and hospital representatives to establish the circumstances and cause of death.
The case has sparked a wider debate about patient safety in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Following a public outcry, Nigeria’s health ministry admitted there were “systemic challenges” and announced the creation of a national task force on “clinical governance and patient safety” to improve the quality of care.
Adichie is an award-winning writer known for novels including Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah.
Her 2013 essay We Should All Be Feminists was sampled by Beyoncé on her track Flawless, while the author was named among Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2015.
She explores themes around gender and immigration in her works, establishing her as a leading voice in postcolonial feminist literature. – BBC
