A toddler’s dying and a high-profile emergency ought to by no means develop into spectacles, but they typically do. In latest weeks, the dying of Nkanu Nnamdi Adichie-Esege and public questions following Anthony Joshua’s street accident have drawn nationwide consideration not as a result of they’re peculiar, however as a result of they sit on the uneasy intersection of belief, expectation, and healthcare supply in Nigeria. These moments take a look at greater than particular person hospitals or responders; they take a look at whether or not the nation’s well being system is constructed to reply transparently, study responsibly, and defend sufferers and professionals alike.
The circumstances surrounding these two instances are distinct. The dying of Nkanu adopted a medical process at Euracare Multispecialist Hospital in Lagos, after which his household raised considerations referring to medical monitoring and response. The hospital has denied any wrongdoing, and Lagos State regulatory authorities have since initiated a proper inquiry. Within the second case, Anthony Joshua’s involvement in a deadly street site visitors accident didn’t increase allegations of malpractice however slightly questions round emergency evacuation, coordination, and response timelines.
What hyperlinks these incidents will not be culpability, nor similarity of info, however the broader public response they’ve triggered. In a healthcare system the place expectations are rising and scrutiny is intense, hostile outcomes, significantly in high-profile contexts, inevitably provoke public nervousness. That response is comprehensible. But healthcare methods are complicated, high-risk environments, and the trail to safer care doesn’t lie in assumption or hypothesis, however in disciplined course of, evidence-based assessment, and institutional accountability.
Moments like these demand restraint as a lot as they demand scrutiny. Public outrage could amplify consideration, nevertheless it doesn’t exchange investigation. Nor does it strengthen methods. If Nigeria is to enhance the standard and reliability of care its residents obtain, particularly in amenities providing specialised or superior providers, the dialog should transfer past incident-driven judgement towards accountability grounded in transparency, skilled requirements, and steady studying.
Excellence, expectations, and system strain
Nigeria’s healthcare sector is neither uniform nor static. It includes a variety of private and non-private suppliers, working below very totally different situations and constraints. Throughout this spectrum are devoted professionals delivering care in difficult environments, typically with restricted sources. On the identical time, no healthcare system, wherever on the planet, is proof against failure. When methods falter, the implications may be profound.
Incidents occurring in premium or extremely seen amenities have a tendency to draw heightened consideration, partially as a result of such establishments are related to greater expectations. Branding, pricing, and worldwide benchmarking form public notion. When outcomes don’t align with these expectations, confidence may be shaken, not solely within the facility concerned however within the wider well being system. How establishments and regulators reply in these moments issues enormously.
Within the case of Euracare, the allegations raised are severe and warrant cautious, neutral examination. That course of is already underway. Permitting regulatory establishments to do their work pretty, transparently, and with out pre-judgement is crucial to sustaining skilled integrity and public belief. Equally, the questions prompted by the Anthony Joshua incident spotlight the significance of robust emergency response methods that operate reliably below strain. These are system challenges, not particular person ones.
Belief is constructed by course of, not efficiency claims
On the coronary heart of those discussions lies the difficulty of belief. Belief in healthcare will not be constructed solely on fame. It’s constructed on governance, on clear requirements, on sturdy oversight, and on credible mechanisms for accountability when outcomes fall brief.
When hostile occasions happen, accountable establishments should talk clearly, have interaction overtly with affected households, and cooperate absolutely with regulatory assessment. These actions aren’t admissions of fault; they’re obligations {of professional} healthcare supply. Equally, regulators should act with independence, technical competence, and timeliness. The place investigations are perceived as opaque, delayed, or inconclusive, public confidence inevitably erodes. Transparency, due to this fact, needs to be understood not as a menace to establishments however as a cornerstone of affected person security and system enchancment.
Litigation, accountability, and studying
The authorized discover issued by Nkanu’s household has additionally reignited debate concerning the position of litigation in Nigerian healthcare. Authorized motion stays a authentic avenue for accountability and redress. Nevertheless, when litigation turns into the first mechanism for resolving medical disputes, it could produce unintended penalties, together with defensive medical observe, rising prices, and lowered willingness to handle high-risk instances.
Many well being methods handle this rigidity by complementing authorized processes with structured medical damage decision mechanisms. Professional assessment panels or specialised well being adjudication frameworks can present sooner decision, truthful compensation the place hurt is established, and—crucially—translate findings into system-wide security enhancements. Such approaches stability affected person safety with skilled equity and institutional studying.
What system reform ought to appear like
Rebuilding belief in Nigerian healthcare requires shifting from reflection to deliberate reform. First, medical governance should be necessary, significantly in non-public amenities delivering complicated or high-risk providers akin to paediatrics, obstetrics, anaesthesia, and emergency care. Formal governance buildings, common medical audits, morbidity and mortality opinions, escalation protocols, and impartial oversight needs to be baseline necessities, not non-compulsory finest practices.
Second, severe medical incidents ought to set off structured, time-bound opinions targeted on studying and prevention. Findings, appropriately anonymised, ought to inform nationwide requirements and regulatory motion. Nigeria doesn’t must invent these mechanisms anew. A invoice at the moment earlier than the Nationwide Meeting proposing the institution of a Nationwide Well being Facility Regulatory Company presents a chance to strengthen oversight, standardise accreditation, coordinate incident reporting, and guarantee consistency throughout each private and non-private suppliers.
A standing, technically competent regulator is much better suited to sustaining high quality and accountability than advert hoc job forces convened in moments of disaster. Whereas job forces could present short-term reassurance, lasting reform is dependent upon establishments with continuity, authority, and enforcement capability.
Third, minimal emergency response requirements should be clearly outlined and enforced, significantly in city centres. These ought to handle ambulance coordination, response instances, triage capability, and handover protocols between emergency providers and healthcare amenities.
Fourth, transparency needs to be institutionalised via the general public reporting of core high quality and security indicators. Whereas such knowledge could initially be imperfect, accountable disclosure is a strong driver of enchancment and accountability.
Lastly, Nigeria ought to develop a structured medical damage decision pathway that balances affected person safety, skilled equity, and system studying.
A system worthy of public belief
Nigeria’s healthcare system faces simple challenges, nevertheless it additionally possesses important skilled experience and institutional potential. By embedding transparency, accountability, and steady studying into healthcare supply and regulation, the nation can strengthen public confidence and enhance affected person outcomes.
The latest tragedies involving Nkanu Nnamdi Adichie-Esege and Anthony Joshua shouldn’t be lowered to moments of shock or blame. They need to function catalysts for strengthening the methods that defend sufferers, professionals, and establishments alike. With robust processes, credible regulation, and collective duty, Nigeria can construct a healthcare system that’s not solely aspirational in identify but additionally constantly secure, reliable, and worthy of the folks it serves.
This text is a partnership between the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) and BusinessDay to focus on insurance policies and programmes to advertise the rebuilding of Nigeria’s well being sector. As a non-public sector-led coalition, HFN advocates for insurance policies and partnerships to strengthen healthcare supply. This partnership goals to spark significant discussions and drive transformative change in Nigeria’s well being sector.
This text was developed with enter from members of the HFN Editorial Committee, together with Njide Ndili (President of HFN and Nation Director of PharmAccess) and Dr Folajimi Adebowale (CEO, Recon Well being Media)
