By Joy Essien, Contributing Editor, Lagos Metropolitan.
Social media woke up to very sad news yesterday on the death of soprano singer Ifunanya Nwangene, an Abuja resident and member of Abuja Metropolitan Music Society Choir (AMMEMUSO), an opera group that majors on operas, classicals and choral music.
Nanya, as she was fondly called, was beginning to get recognised for her talent and was rising fast, performing across the country including for the Lagos State Government and some who knew her closely even say UEFA recently got in touch with her.
Accounts from neighbors and people Ifunanya had contacted revealed that she was bitten on the wrist by a snake while sleeping in her bed, between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. She rushed out to seek help, and neighbors immediately tied her hand to slow the spread of venom and encouraged her to go to the hospital.
A neighbor attempted to assist, but her car failed to start despite several attempts. Ifunanya then ran approximately 500 metres to the estate gate, took a motorcycle, and went to Divine Health Hospital, the closest hospital to her residence in Lugbe, Abuja. Unfortunately, the hospital did not have antivenom and referred her to FMC.
She then booked a ride to FMC. While in transit, around 9:40 a.m., Ifunanya contacted friends, family members, and the Amemuso Choir. At FMC, Jabi, Ifunanya’s closest friend, Pascal and the doctors were already attending to her. She was struggling to breathe, had been placed on oxygen, and was unable to speak, though she tried to communicate using hand gestures.
One of the doctors confirmed that Ifunanya arrived at the emergency ward by herself and had explained what happened. She reportedly told them that she saw a grey snake that bit her. Her uncle, Mr. Joseph, was also at the hospital.
Ifunanya was placed on a drip and administered antivenom, alongside other treatments. As medical efforts continued, the doctor in charge informed Vincent (an emergency response member of her choir) that they urgently needed Neostigmine and additional doses of the medication already administered, explaining that the hospital had exhausted its supply.
After making several calls, it was confirmed that Neostigmine was available at Skylark Pharmacy, close to the National Hospital. Vincent and the choir director Mr. Sam Ezugwu, immediately drove there to purchase it.
As they were leaving the emergency ward, they noticed that Ifunanya appeared no longer to be breathing. However, since the doctors were still actively checking her blood pressure and administering interventions, they left with cautious hope, though deeply concerned.
Mr Sam called Chiamaka to confirm her condition, but she was unsure and said, “Sir, I don’t know.” While Vincent was collecting the medication at the pharmacy, Mr. Sam called again. This time, Chiamaka informed him that the doctors were attempting resuscitation.
On their way back to the hospital with the injection, Chiamaka called to inform them that Ifunanya had been officially confirmed dead.
They returned to the hospital to find Ifunanya’s lifeless body on the bed. Soon, the emergency ward was filled with AMEMUSITES and other friends, all grieving the devastating loss.
Now the Questions.
- If that was antivenom in the drip and she had an allergic reaction to it that effectively killed her, then it must have been anaphylaxis, the severe type which requires doctors move quickly with things like adrenaline, intravenous steroids ,oxygen and also be ready to intubate if there is risk of her losing her airway from the swelling caused around the throat in such allergic situations.
If that was the case, was it picked up quickly and managed?
Was she being observed and hooked unto a monitor for her vital signs while drip was ongoing.
Or even have someone monitoring her for any changes while drip was ongoing even if there are no monitors. -
If that was not an antivenom drip, then 8:30am to about 10am is more than enough time for the neurotoxin from the cobra venom to finish off her neuromuscular system which could manifest as slurred or unclear speech, difficulty swallowing, drooping eyelids, facial weakness and difficulty breathing.
They are saying she came in with not speaking properly but her brother says otherwise. So which was it really?
The choir described Ifunanya Nwangene as a fast-rising talent within Abuja’s music community, noting that her death came at a critical stage of her artistic journey.
Ifunanya’s death has sparked an outpouring of tribute and condolences from fans and fellow artists. Some people think the tragedy highlights the need for improved emergency medical response and available of antivenom in hospitals. "Nigeria has a particular antivenom developed for Nigerian snakes. It is called Echi-Tab. Why were these injections not in the fridges of these hospitals?" Asks Aproko Doctor, a social media health influencer.
