A hospital in Lagos denies medical negligence over the death of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's 21-month-old.
Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationWatch DocumentariesTechnologyScienceArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindHealthWatch DocumentariesCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsWatch DocumentariesArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthWatch DocumentariesNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroDiscover the WorldLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveAuthor Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's family accuse hospital of negligence over son's death14 hours agoShareSaveMakuochi OkaforLagosShareSaveBBC/Jeff OversThe family of Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has accused a hospital of negligence over the death of her 21-month-old son.
Nkanu Nnamdi died at a hospital in Nigeria on Wednesday following a short illness, leaving the family of the acclaimed postcolonial feminist writer "devastated".
Now, the family allege there was a litany of failures at Euracare Hospital in Lagos that led to the toddler's death, including being denied oxygen and being given too much sedation, causing a heart attack.
The hospital expressed its "deepest sympathies" over the loss of the child but denied improper care, which it said had been in line with international standards.
It added that Nkanu had arrived at the hospital "critically ill" and that an investigation into the death was now under way.
Adichie's sister-in-law, Dr Anthea Nwandu, made a series of allegations about the hospital in an interview with Nigerian broadcaster Arise TV on Saturday.
In it, she said the medical director of Euracare had told Adichie her son "had received too much sedation", which subsequently caused him to have a heart attack.
Dr Nwandu also accused medical staff of leaving the child unattended, denying him oxygen and transporting him in a manner that was "not according to standard practice".
She alleged Nkanu suffered a brain injury due to lack of oxygen.
Similar accusations concerning Nkanu's care were made in a private message from Adichie that was leaked online.
Her spokeswoman Omawumi Ogbe told the BBC that the message had originally been shared within "a close circle of family and friends", and "was not for public consumption".
Ms Ogbe continued: "While we are saddened that such a deeply personal account of grief and trauma was leaked, the details therein highlight the devastating clinical failures the family is now forced to confront.
"We hope that the substance of that message, detailing the gross medical negligence that led to this tragedy remains the central focus even as we look forward to