By Our Reporter
Anxiety has gripped the National Hospital, Abuja, following reports of serious and life-threatening reactions, including deaths, allegedly linked to the administration of Fortcef Injection, a ceftazidime-based antibiotic, prompting the Federal Government to launch an investigation into the drug.
The investigation, being conducted by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), followed allegations by a female whistleblower, who identified herself as Nurse Lucy, that four patients died at the hospital after receiving the drug.
However, the National Hospital, Abuja, has confirmed that its healthcare workers administered Fortcef Injection to some patients but put the number of deaths following its administration at two, not four as alleged by the whistleblower.
NAFDAC, meanwhile, said three fatalities had so far been reported from multiple healthcare facilities in connection with cases currently under investigation.
The agency’s investigation is focused on two batches of Fortcef Injection — PFZIE001 and OFZIE001 — following reports of acute reactions after the administration of the drug.
The reported reactions include vomiting, chest pain, confusion, loss of consciousness, restlessness, gasping, flaccidity and unresponsiveness.
In a classified safety communication to pharmacies and hospitals nationwide, dated September 14, 2026, and obtained by LEADERSHIP Weekend, NAFDAC said the implicated batches had been placed on temporary hold pending the outcome of its pharmacovigilance and quality investigations.
The agency directed healthcare facilities to immediately discontinue the use of the affected batches and quarantine or segregate any available stock.
It also instructed hospitals, pharmacies and other healthcare providers to preserve the affected products, vials, packaging and other relevant materials for possible investigation, warning them against discarding the products until the investigation is concluded.
Fortcef Injection is an intravenous antibiotic containing 1g of ceftazidime, a third-generation cephalosporin used in the treatment of serious bacterial infections, including infections of the lungs, urinary tract, bloodstream, skin and soft tissues, bones and joints.
The medicine is administered intravenously by healthcare professionals, usually in hospital and clinical settings, for infections caused by susceptible bacteria.
Two Deaths At National Hospital.
An internal clinical surveillance memo from the National Hospital, Abuja, signed by its Director of Clinical Services/Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Dr O. Lawal, showed that two adult patients died following administration of Fortcef Injection procured from outside the hospital.
According to LEADERSHIP Weekend, the memo, dated September 10, 2026, stated that the two patients were “otherwise relatively stable” before receiving the drug.
The incidents, it was gathered, occurred following administration of the product on August 24, 2026, and September 9, 2026.
Following the incidents, the hospital directed all clinicians to heighten surveillance in the use of ceftazidime brands sourced from outside the hospital, particularly Fortcef Injection 1g, batch number PFZIE001.
The batch was manufactured in May 2025 and has an expiry date of April 2028.
The hospital’s Pharmacovigilance Committee subsequently identified the cases as serious adverse drug reactions and directed clinicians to promptly report suspected adverse reactions.
Healthcare workers were also urged to remain vigilant when administering the implicated brand.
The cases, according to the hospital, were reported to NAFDAC.
NAFDAC Probe Covers Multiple Facilities
While the National Hospital’s internal records documented two deaths, NAFDAC said its investigation covers reports received from multiple healthcare facilities and that three fatalities had been reported so far.
The agency said the investigation was triggered by reports of acute reactions following administration of Fortcef Injection at healthcare facilities in different locations.
NAFDAC stressed that the cause of the reported deaths and whether the fatalities were directly linked to Fortcef Injection remained under investigation.
The agency’s action therefore does not, at this stage, establish that the drug caused the deaths.
Beyond the reported adverse reactions, NAFDAC’s review has also raised questions about the regulatory status of the product.
According to the agency, Fortcef Injection is a powder for injection containing 1g of ceftazidime. It bears NAFDAC registration number C4-0247 and was manufactured by Laborate Pharmaceuticals in India and marketed by Embassy Pharmaceutical and Chemicals.
NAFDAC said the product was initially registered in 2019 with an approved expiry date of December 2024.
It added that, based on available records, there was currently no evidence of renewal of the product’s registration in its NAPAMS system following the expiry of the registration period.
The agency urged healthcare providers and members of the public to exercise caution within the supply chain and avoid the purchase, sale, administration or use of the affected batches pending the conclusion of the investigation.
It also called on healthcare professionals and patients to report suspected adverse reactions through its pharmacovigilance channels.
The investigation followed a video circulating on social media in which the whistleblower, identified as Nurse Lucy, alleged that four patients had died at the National Hospital after receiving Fortcef Injection.
The video was reportedly a follow-up to an earlier recording in which she had raised concerns about the incidents and expressed the view that the matter was not receiving adequate attention.
Sources said Nurse Lucy is a member of staff of the National Hospital and had continued to draw attention to what she described as serious concerns surrounding the incidents.
However, the allegations made in the videos remain subject to investigation.
With NAFDAC now probing the reported adverse reactions, the immediate focus is on establishing whether there is a causal link between the implicated Fortcef batches and the reported clinical events, as well as determining the quality and regulatory status of the affected products.
Until the investigation is concluded, NAFDAC has advised healthcare facilities to keep the implicated batches out of circulation and preserve them for regulatory examination.
