Litigating Medical Negligence In Nigeria

There is a popular saying within the medical community that goes, "We care, but God cures." While this statement often serves as a reminder of the limits of human intervention, a medical practitioner is highly expected to exercise utmost care and diligence as they deal with the very essence of human life. But what happens when that duty of care is breached, resulting in harm or injury to a patient?

A 2017 study on medical errors in Nigeria published by the Archives of Medicine and Health Sciences revealed a negligence rate of 42.8% among 145 medical practitioners.¹ The report indicated that the three most prevalent errors were medication prescription errors (95.2%), errors in radio-laboratory investigation (83.9%), and errors in physician diagnoses (69.4%), making medical negligence the third leading cause of death in Nigeria, following cancer and cardiovascular disease. Yet, many patients still remain silent on issues related to medical negligence and fear taking