Expert calls for patients safety reforms after Chimamanda son’s death

Dr Emmanuel Agogo, Director, Pandemic Threats, Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), has called for patients safety reforms after Chimamanda Adichie’s son, Nkanu’s death.

Agogo made the call in an interview with newsmen, Abuja on Monday, while reacting to the tragic death of the 21 months old toddler.

He described the death of the boy as a tragic loss, adding that the incident served as a “painful” reminder of the fatal consequences of Nigeria’s broken healthcare system.

He noted that the call was imperative as neither social status nor prominence could protect citizens from systemic failures.

According to him, how many more unfortunate events must we endure before we admit that our healthcare system is not just broken but fatal? Our silence is costing us our lives.

The expert noted that the tragedy exposed longstanding weaknesses in patient safety, emergency response, and clinical oversight in Nigeria.

He also mentioned recent high-profile cases where emergency response and trauma care had been criticised for lapses, warning that such failures were not isolated incidents.

He said that the leadership and elite class’s reliance on foreign medical care was a reflection of systemic distrust in local health infrastructure.

“If those entrusted with leading the country do not rely on our hospitals for their own survival, it raises serious questions about why ordinary Nigerians should accept them as good enough for their children,” he said.

Agogo said that years of under-investment in healthcare, weak regulatory oversight, and the continued brain drain of skilled health workers had exacerbated the problem.

”Doctors and nurses are not leaving only for better pay; they are fleeing a system that does not give them the tools to save lives,” he said.

”Nigeria has approximately one doctor for every 5,000 people; well below the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended ratio of 1:600. This shortage puts immense pressure on healthcare providers and limits timely access to care.

”Studies indicate that Nigeria experiences over 200,000 preventable child deaths annually, many from pneumonia, malaria, and severe dehydration, conditions treatable with timely emergency care such.

“Emergency pediatric services are often understaffed, under-equipped, or unevenly distributed across states,” he added.

He added that in recent months, Nigeria had witnessed several incidents highlighting lapses in patient safety.

According to him, notably among these incidents was the Anthony Joshua emergency case, where delayed and improperly coordinated emergency care drew widespread criticism.

He stressed the urgent need for standardised patient safety protocols, modern equipment, and incentives to retain health workers in the country.

He warned that without immediate reforms, avoidable deaths would continue to occur across both public and private healthcare facilities.

He urged policymakers to implement mandatory patient safety programmes, strengthen regulatory oversight, and ensure emergency care services meet international standards.

Supreme news reports that the death of Nkanu, the 21-month-old son of the multiple award winning novelist reignited concerns about patient safety and the quality of emergency care in Nigeria’s healthcare system.

The toddler died at a hospital in Lagos following a brief illness, with his family alleging negligence, including being denied oxygen and receiving excessive sedation.

The family has called for accountability, while the hospital denied wrongdoing, stating that the sick child was brought in critically ill with all care provided in line with international standards.