Senior Advocate of Nigeria and medical malpractice specialist, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, has raised alarm over what he describes as a deepening medical negligence crisis in Nigeria, calling for an urgent and comprehensive overhaul of the country\u2019s health regulatory framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, Agbakoba said recurring incidents of preventable deaths in Nigerian hospitals point to systemic failures in regulation, oversight, and accountability within the health sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He spoke against the backdrop of the recent death of Nkanu Nnamdi, one of the twin sons of acclaimed author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege\u2014an incident that has reignited public debate about patient safety in Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Agbakoba, who said he has focused on medical malpractice litigation for over 20 years and has handled more than 50 such cases, described the incident as emblematic of wider institutional problems. According to him, the reported administration of Propofol\u2014a powerful anaesthetic known to carry risks of cardio-respiratory failure if improperly dosed\u2014underscores concerns about competence and adherence to clinical standards, even in hospitals regarded as reputable.
\u201c
I am not shocked that such a simple procedure could end so tragically,\u201d Agbakoba said, adding that while investigations are ongoing, there appears to be a strong possibility of overdose. He stressed, however, that all findings must be established through an independent and transparent inquiry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He commended the Lagos State Government for pledging to investigate the incident and acknowledged the hospital involved, Euracare, for agreeing to cooperate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nevertheless, he warned that investigations into medical negligence in Nigeria are often compromised, alleging that medical records are sometimes altered to evade responsibility.
Drawing from personal experience, Agbakoba said he was once misdiagnosed in a manner that could have had serious consequences, while his brother narrowly survived surgery allegedly performed by a doctor who falsely presented himself as a qualified surgeon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He cited several other cases his firm has encountered, including patients who died following delayed medical responses, negligent surgical procedures, and medication errors. He noted that his practice is currently handling 25 active medical negligence cases, with over 20 additional complaints under review.
\u201cThese are not isolated incidents,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey are symptoms of a systemic collapse.\u201d
Agbakoba traced the roots of the problem to what he described as the failure of Nigeria\u2019s legal and regulatory health framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He recalled that in earlier decades, the healthcare system operated under a strong supervisory structure, with Chief MedicalOfficers and Health Inspectors responsible for oversight, compliance, and accountability. According to him, that structure has since been dismantled, leaving a regulatory vacuum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He argued that the current framework under the National Health Act and corresponding state laws has led to excessive centralisation under the Federal Ministry of Health, weakening state-level oversight. As a result, he said, many health facilities now operate with \u201calarming impunity,\u201d without routine inspections, mandatory reporting, or effective enforcement of standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Agbakoba also criticised what he described as a governance failure in which Ministers and Commissioners of Health combine policy-making with regulatory enforcement roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He insisted that these functions must be clearly separated to ensure accountability.
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The Chimamanda case has brought renewed attention to this crisis, but it represents only the visible tip of a much larger problem affecting countless Nigerian families,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201d he said.
To address the situation, Agbakoba called for immediate reforms, including the establishment of an independent Health Regulatory Authority, the reinstatement of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer at federal and state levels, mandatory registration and inspection of health facilities, independent investigative mechanisms with powers to preserve medical records, and comprehensive legislative reform of Nigeria\u2019s health laws.
He concluded by describing the state of medical care in Nigeria as a national emergency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe cannot continue to lose precious lives to preventable medical errors while our regulatory framework remains in shambles,\u201d Agbakoba said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe time for decisive legislative and executive action is long overdue.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Senior Advocate of Nigeria and medical malpractice specialist, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, has raised alarm over what he describes as a deepening medical negligence crisis in Nigeria, calling for an urgent and comprehensive overhaul of the country\u2019s health regulatory framework. In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, Agbakoba said recurring incidents of preventable deaths in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1929,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2987","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t