By our reporter 2.2.2026
As Nigerians continue to debate the death by snakebite of young up and coming singer Ifunanya Nwangene, a medical doctor Saheed Kehinde has explained that too much time was wasted by the singer in getting medical help.
Ifunanya, a soprano singer, died last Saturday at the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, due to a snakebite, Nigerians blamed the death of the singer on poor medical attention.
Dr. Kehinde though acknowledge that there is inadequate supply of medical equipment to sustained primary health care, the fate of Ifunanya could have been averted if she had arrived in time at the hospital for treatment.
“What I heard was that when it happened at home, probably in the morning, and she was taken to one or two hospitals before she was taken to FMC Abuja,” Dr. Kehinde on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday.
“But unfortunately, I think they said she came around 11am, probably, the incident happened in the morning.
“And when you have a snakebite, there are certain things that are very important. The type of snake has the type of virulence — the danger it can cause.
“There are some snakes that are not toxic, some are toxic, and it depends on the toxicity. The anti-venom is to prevent complications that can arise from that bite.
“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,” the doctor added.
“Therefore, the issue of time is very crucial in the sense that, within minutes, you should try to give the anti-snake venom.”
The management of the FMC had denied that anti venom was out of stock, adding that efforts were made to save the life of singer.
“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.
“Our medical staff provided immediate and appropriate treatment, including resuscitation efforts, intravenous fluids, intranasal oxygen, and the administration of polyvalent snake antivenom,” the hospital said in a statement on Sunday.
“After a thorough but quick evaluation, it was clear that Ms. Nwagene suffered severe neurotoxic complications from the snake bite. We stand by the quality of care and dedication our team demonstrates daily.
“The claims of non-availability of anti-snake venom and inadequate response are unfounded and do not reflect the reality of the situation. We are committed to transparency and integrity in our practices and will continue to pursue excellence in patient care,” it added.