Singer’s death sparks doctor’s takedown of snakebite myths, exposes public health gaps

A health professional has blamed widespread medical misinformation for public misunderstanding surrounding the death of young Nigerian singer, Ifunanya Nwangene, who reportedly died after being bitten by a snake, warning that Nigeria urgently needs a comprehensive overhaul of its public health education system.

Speaking in an interview, clinician Dr. Stella Kokondo Essien explained that the controversy following the singer’s death exposed deep-rooted ignorance about basic emergency medical care, particularly in cases of snakebite.

She stressed that immediate and appropriate first aid is critical and should focus on immobilising the affected limb and ensuring rapid transport to a hospital, rather than relying on improvised or traditional practices.

Dr. Essien warned against the common practice of tightly tying cloths or ropes around the bitten limb, a method still widely used in many Nigerian communities.

“The very first course of emergency care is to immobilise the affected part — do not allow excessive movement of the hand or leg. Do not tie it with a tourniquet. The patient should be stabilised and taken to the nearest hospital as fast as possible,” she said.

She explained that restricting blood flow by tying the limb can cause severe damage and may even lead to loss of the limb.

“For you to completely stop blood flow through an affected hand would completely kill the limb. You are not helping. Even simple splinting with cardboard to keep the limb still would have been safer than constricting it,” she added.

The medical expert also addressed public outrage over the treatment the singer reportedly received at a health facility, where social media commentators alleged that intravenous (IV) fluids—commonly referred to as a “drip”—worsened her condition by speeding up the spread of venom.

Dr. Essien dismissed the claim as medically false.

“That is not true. The venom was already in the bloodstream. The drip was important because doctors were trying to dilute, stabilise and flush the system while the antivenom was working,” she explained.

She noted that many snake venoms, particularly those from cobras, attack muscles responsible for breathing, making urgent hospital care essential to prevent respiratory failure.

According to her, in Ifunanya’s case, the delay in reaching a hospital and excessive movement after the bite—especially since the bite was on her hand, close to the heart—may have significantly worsened her condition.

“What the venom does is paralyse the muscles of respiration, which is why supportive care such as IV fluids is routinely used while antivenom treatment is administered,” she said.

She warned that movement after a snakebite can be fatal.

“Moving, running or struggling after a bite increases circulation and spreads venom faster, particularly when the bite occurs on an upper limb close to the heart. With all those movements, you speed up the poisoning,” she cautioned.

Beyond the individual case, Dr. Essien said the public reaction to the singer’s death highlighted a broader national problem of medical misinformation, especially on social media and broadcast platforms.

She warned that false information shared online can influence relatives, bystanders and even first responders during emergencies, potentially costing lives.

“People should seek correct information before going on air to speak. Coming on television to say that the drip administered to the victim was injurious is wrong,” she said. “Nigeria needs a systematic overhaul of public health education campaigns.”

She clarified that IV fluids are not treatments for diseases such as malaria or snakebite but are supportive interventions used to stabilise patients.

“Drip is not a treatment for malaria or any ailment. IV fluids are mainly for support, for example, when a patient cannot eat or is vomiting,” Dr. Essien explained.

The clinician urged communities, media commentators and social media users to verify medical advice with qualified professionals and rely on established clinical protocols rather than myths, stressing that accurate information can be the difference between life and death in emergency situations.