The tragic death of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, has ignited a fierce debate about patient safety within Nigeria’s healthcare system. The renowned author alleges that her young son was denied oxygen and excessively sedated, leading to cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Lagos.
Following the outcry, Nigeria’s Health Minister has acknowledged “systemic challenges” and announced the creation of a national task force on “clinical governance and patient safety” to improve the quality of care and patient safety. This comes as a series of harrowing cases of alleged medical negligence have surfaced, including the death of Aisha Umar, a mother of five who died after surgical scissors were left inside her abdomen during an operation.
These high-profile cases have given voice to widespread grievances that often go unheard. Josephine Obi, a 29-year-old Lagos-based product manager, recounted how her father died in 2021 at the state-run Lagos University Teaching Hospital after what she says was a surgical error during a routine procedure for a goitre. The family chose not to sue to avoid a potentially costly and protracted legal battle.
Experts attribute the issues to a systemic problem, including a severe shortage of doctors and medical equipment, as well as chronic underfunding of the healthcare system. Nigeria’s federal government allocates only about 5% of its budget to health, far below the 15% target set by the African Union to improve medical services across the continent.
Dr. Mohammad Usman Suleiman, the president of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (Nard), told the BBC that the problems are “systemic” and that blaming individuals without addressing the wider issues, such as a lack of doctors and equipment, is futile. He emphasised the need for improved clinical governance and patient safety measures.
The task force announced by the Health Minister will oversee, monitor, and drive efforts to integrate quality and patient safety into all areas of healthcare delivery nationwide. However, many Nigerians will want to see tangible results in the country’s clinics and hospitals before they can be convinced that no other patient will become a tragic symbol of a national crisis.
