NMA presses FG to reconstitute MDCN as Chimamanda’s son’s death exposes justice gap

The Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association has called on the Federal Government to urgently reconstitute the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, warning that justice in the case surrounding the death of celebrated author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s son risks being delayed without a fully constituted regulatory body.

In a statement signed by its chairman, Saheed Kehinde, the association said the call for the reconstitution of the MDCN had become pressing following the death of 21-month-old Nkanu Nnamdi Esege and the release of recommendations by the medical and dental practitioners’ investigational panel constituted by the council to probe the circumstances of the infant’s death.

The NMA noted that while MDCN serves as the primary regulatory body through which Nigerians can seek justice in cases of alleged medical negligence, the absence of a fully constituted council creates a critical gap. The association argued that the Federal Government must immediately constitute the MDCN membership that would in turn constitute the Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, so that justice is not delayed for either side.

The case that has brought the issue into sharp focus is among the most high-profile medical negligence allegations Nigeria has seen in years. Nkanu Nnamdi Esege, one of Adichie’s twin sons, died on January 6, 2026. According to the author, her son was sedated for an MRI and central line insertion, after which he became unresponsive following an overdose of propofol. The family’s legal notice, issued by Senior Advocate Kemi Pinheiro, accused Euracare Hospital, its anaesthesiologist, and attending staff of breaching their duty of care during a series of preparatory procedures ahead of a planned medical evacuation to the United States.

The MDCN has since moved decisively. At its investigative panel session held in Abuja in February, the council ruled that sufficient evidence existed to proceed with allegations of medical negligence against three senior doctors — the medical director of Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, Tunde Majekodunmi; the hospital’s anaesthesiologist, Titus Ogundare; and the chief medical officer of Atlantis Pediatric Hospital, Atinuke Uwajeh — and ordered their provisional suspension from practice pending the outcome of the case.

However, the NMA raised procedural concerns alongside its call for reconstitution. The association argued that the manner in which the investigative panel positioned itself had been more punitive than investigative, and that the process violated principles of fair hearing. It also cautioned against the social media outrage that followed the panel’s report, describing the atmosphere of public trial as unacceptable.

Atlantis Paediatric Hospital has also pushed back on aspects of the MDCN’s interim findings, confirming it received notification of its chief medical director’s suspension in March and saying it intends to engage appropriate professional and regulatory bodies regarding issues arising from the panel’s conclusions. The hospital said it would refrain from extensive public comment given that the matter is already before the Lagos State Coroner’s Court.

The Guild of Medical Directors, for its part, urged fair regulation, warning that sudden career interruptions risk causing psychological distress, reputational damage, and disruption to healthcare delivery — particularly in a country already facing a severe shortage of qualified doctors.

The case is also before the Yaba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, which adjourned proceedings until April 14 to commence a coroner’s inquest, with the court requesting witness statements from all parties and noting that an autopsy report would be critical to determining the cause of death.