Euracare Multispecialist Hospital has issued a formal response following the death of the 21-month-old son of acclaimed writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, addressing allegations of medical negligence and the public controversy that followed the incident.

In a statement released on Saturday, January 10, 2026, the Lagos-based hospital expressed profound condolences to Adichie and her family, describing the death of a child as an unimaginable loss that words cannot adequately capture.

While sympathising with the family’s grief, the hospital said some narratives circulating in the public domain contained inaccuracies and required clarification. Euracare maintained that it is a reputable facility for complex medical care, staffed by an internationally trained and experienced clinical team.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to Chimamanda Adichie and her family on the demise of their son and acknowledge the profound and unimaginable loss they are experiencing during this deeply distressing time,” the statement said. “The loss of a child is beyond words, and we offer our most heartfelt condolences to his parents and the entire family.”

According to the hospital, the child, who was critically ill, was referred to its facility for specific diagnostic procedures after receiving treatment at two paediatric centres. Euracare said its medical team commenced care immediately upon the child’s arrival, applying established clinical protocols and internationally accepted medical standards, including sedation where clinically indicated.

The hospital added that it worked collaboratively with external medical professionals at the family’s request and ensured that all necessary clinical support was provided. Despite these efforts, the child passed away less than 24 hours after presenting at the facility.

Euracare disclosed that it has launched a detailed internal investigation in line with its clinical governance standards and best practices and pledged to cooperate fully with all regulatory and clinical review processes.

“As medical professionals, we carry the weight of this loss deeply,” the statement added. “Our priority remains compassion, patient safety, and the responsible handling of this matter, while respecting the family’s privacy and allowing due process to take its course.”

The hospital also assured the public that it would continue to support the grieving family in any way possible during what it described as a devastating period.

The statement followed public allegations by Adichie, who accused the hospital of grave medical negligence in the death of her son after a medical procedure carried out on January 6.

In a detailed personal account that later circulated publicly and was confirmed by her media team, Adichie alleged that her son would still be alive but for what she described as fatal lapses in care during procedures she said were expected to be routine.

She recounted that the family had travelled to Lagos for the Christmas holidays when the child developed symptoms initially thought to be a cold, which later deteriorated into a severe infection. He was first admitted to Atlantis Hospital, where arrangements were made for an emergency medical evacuation to the United States.

According to Adichie, doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore were on standby to receive her son and had requested an MRI scan and lumbar puncture, while Nigerian doctors planned to insert a central line ahead of the flight. Atlantis Hospital subsequently referred the family to Euracare to carry out the procedures.

Adichie alleged that her son was sedated for the MRI and central line insertion, but while she waited outside the operating theatre, she noticed unusual activity among medical personnel, which immediately suggested that something had gone wrong.

She said she was later informed that her son had been administered an excessive dose of propofol by an anesthesiologist, became unresponsive, and was resuscitated before being intubated and transferred to the intensive care unit. She further alleged that seizures and cardiac arrest followed—conditions she said her son had never previously experienced—and that he died hours later.

Adichie also claimed her son was not adequately monitored after sedation and questioned the handling of his oxygen supply during transfer to the ICU, describing the actions as criminally negligent and a breach of standard medical protocols.

“We brought in a child who was unwell but stable and scheduled to travel the next day,” she said. “We came to conduct basic procedures, and suddenly, our beautiful little boy was gone forever.”

She further alleged that the hospital had prior knowledge of similar cases involving the same anesthesiologist and questioned why the practitioner was allowed to continue practising.

“This must never happen to another child,” she said.

ARISE NEWS confirmed through Adichie’s media team that she authored the account. The team said the message was initially shared privately with family members and close friends before becoming public, adding that Adichie stands by its contents.