Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has served a legal notice on Euracare Hospital, a private medical facility in Lagos, demanding accountability over the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi.
Adichie accused the hospital of medical negligence and professional impropriety, alleging that her son died following a series of medical procedures carried out at the facility. Details of the alleged lapses were outlined in the legal notice issued to the hospital.
The development has drawn public attention, prompting the Lagos State Government to step in. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has ordered a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death and the allegations of negligence against the hospital.
State authorities said the probe will examine the conduct of the medical personnel involved and determine whether due medical standards were followed. The outcome of the investigation is expected to guide further action as calls for accountability continue to grow.
They also raised concerns about the availability of basic resuscitation equipment, delayed recognition and management of respiratory or cardiovascular compromise, and an overall failure to comply with established paediatric anaesthesia, patient-transfer, and safety protocols.
Another key grievance cited was the alleged failure of the hospital to adequately disclose the risks and potential side effects of propofol and other anaesthetic agents, thereby undermining the legal requirement for informed consent.
According to the solicitors, these alleged lapses amount to prima facie breaches of the duty of care and render the hospital and the medical personnel involved liable for medical negligence resulting in the child’s death.
As part of their next legal steps, the parents demanded certified copies of all medical records relating to their son’s treatment within seven days of receipt of the notice.
The requested documents included admission notes, consent forms, pre-anaesthetic assessments, anaesthetic charts, drug administration records, monitoring logs, procedural notes, nursing observations, ICU records, incident reports, and the identities of all medical staff involved.
The demand also covered internal reviews, safety logs from the MRI suite, and any other documentation connected to the child’s care.
The hospital was placed on formal notice to preserve all relevant evidence, whether physical or electronic.
These included CCTV footage from procedure rooms and corridors, electronic monitoring data, pharmacy and drug inventory records, crash-cart and emergency equipment logs, internal communications, and any morbidity and mortality reviews.
The solicitors warned that any destruction, alteration, or loss of evidence after receipt of the notice would be treated as suppression of evidence and obstruction of justice, with attendant legal consequences.
The letter warned that failure to comply with the demands within the stipulated timeframe would leave the parents with no option but to pursue all available legal, regulatory, and judicial remedies against the hospital and all medical personnel involved.