Doctor Shares His Observation, Mentions What FG Must Do After Snake Bite Killed Popular Singer
- The death of rising soprano singer Ifunanya Nwangene after a snake bite in Abuja has sparked widespread reactions across Nigeria
- Medical experts condemned the neglect of primary healthcare, stressing that basic medicines like anti-snake venom should be readily available
- The Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, denied claims of negligence, insisting that its staff provided immediate treatment before her condition worsened
The death of rising soprano singer, Ifunanya Nwangene, following a snake bite in Abuja, continued to draw widespread reactions.
Many Nigerians mourned her as a talented and promising artiste, while others blamed poor medical attention for her passing, ChannelsTV reported.
Source: Twitter
The Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abuja, where she died on Saturday, February 1, 2026, denied allegations of negligence
In a statement issued on Sunday, the hospital explained that medical staff provided immediate treatment, including resuscitation, intravenous fluids, oxygen, and polyvalent snake antivenom.
The hospital added that arrangements were being made to transfer her to the Intensive Care Unit when her condition suddenly worsened.
“Despite all efforts to stabilise her condition and transfer her to the ICU for further treatment, she experienced a sudden deterioration just before the transfer,” the hospital said.
It further noted that Nwangene suffered severe neurotoxic complications from the bite and insisted that claims of non-availability of anti-snake venom were unfounded.
NMA chairman condemns neglect of primary healthcare
Reacting to the incident, the Lagos State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Saheed Kehinde, criticised the neglect of primary healthcare in Nigeria.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on February 2, he said primary healthcare centres should be the backbone of the health system.
“I have always said, and I will continue to say it. The federal, state, and local governments are not listening. And the main thing is that primary healthcare is the most important thing in the healthcare delivery system,” he stated.
Kehinde argued that primary healthcare should receive 60 to 70 per cent of budgetary allocation, but governments in Nigeria often prioritised secondary and tertiary care. He described the country’s health system as failed due to this imbalance.
Why snake bites require urgent attention
Kehinde stressed that snake bites must be treated quickly to prevent complications. He explained that the severity of a bite depends on the type of snake and its toxicity.
“What it does is to go and prevent, or kill or inhibit the venom from getting into the body and do any damage; that is the function of anti-venom,” he said.
He added that while the exact timeframe for treatment varies, anti-snake venom should ideally be administered within minutes of a bite.
Call for public-private partnership in healthcare
The NMA chairman also urged governments to collaborate with the private sector to strengthen healthcare delivery at the community level. He noted that private hospitals could provide affordable primary care if properly integrated into the system.
“In Lagos State, we have about 300 primary healthcare centres. With the population of Lagos, those primary healthcare centres cannot cover the whole of Lagos. How many of the 300 primary healthcare centres have doctors? That is the question you must also ask,” he said.
Kehinde insisted that basic medicines such as anti-snake venom and anti-rabies vaccines should be readily available in primary healthcare centres across the country.
Source: Twitter
Lawyer calls for investigation into singer’s death
Legit.ng earlier reported that following the death of singer Ifunanya Nwangene, who died after being bitten by a snake, a Nigerian lawyer has spoken out about her passing and mentioned five people the police should investigate to understand how she died.
The lawyer made the statement following several news reports confirming the death of the fast-rising singer. The legal practitioner, The People's Parliament, in a Facebook post spoke from a legal perspective while adding that he doesn’t believe the lady died as a result of a snake bite.
In the statement, the lawyer mentioned people who need to be investigated. They include her neighbors, people she might have issues with, the President, the health minister, and the owner of a specific Facebook page.
Source: Legit.ng
