By Crystal Ugoeze
The Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) has raised urgent concerns over the death of Nkanu, the young son of writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, warning that improper use of the sedative propofol is putting children at serious risk in hospitals. AHAPN described the incident as a major patient-safety failure that demands immediate investigation and stronger oversight of high-risk medications.
In a statement on Friday, AHAPN National Chairman, Pharm. Elechi Oyim, said reports suggest that propofol was continuously administered as a sedative to a child under three years old, a practice that violates international standards for pediatric anesthesia and medication safety.
“This practice directly contradicts global guidelines, which warn against prolonged propofol infusion in young children due to the risk of Propofol Infusion Syndrome (PRIS),” Oyim said. He explained that PRIS is a rare but often fatal complication linked to severe metabolic acidosis, muscle breakdown, cardiac failure, and sudden death.
Oyim noted that authorities such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and leading British anesthesia institutions have repeatedly cautioned against using propofol for long-term sedation in pediatric intensive care. The FDA explicitly warns that propofol is not approved for prolonged use in children due to multiple reported fatalities associated with PRIS.
Beyond the clinical risks, AHAPN highlighted systemic weaknesses in Nigeria’s healthcare governance. Oyim stressed that allowing a single clinician to prescribe, administer, and monitor high-risk medications without independent professional oversight is a serious governance failure.
He also criticised the routine exclusion of pharmacists from critical care decisions, particularly in anesthesia and pediatric care. “Clinical pharmacists are trained to detect unsafe drug choices, monitor dosage and duration, and intervene early to prevent fatal outcomes,” Oyim said. “Excluding them from these processes creates dangerous vulnerabilities in patient safety.”
AHAPN called for a thorough, transparent, and independent investigation into the child’s death, along with urgent reforms to strengthen multidisciplinary medication governance in hospitals. The association emphasised that pediatric patients are a legally and ethically protected group who must never be exposed to avoidable pharmacological risks.
Expressing condolences to Chimamanda Adichie and her family, Oyim said, “This is a deeply distressing loss that should never be repeated. Healthcare must move from professional dominance to collaborative accountability; anything less is not just a clinical failure, but an ethical and governance lapse that endangers lives.”