UBON RATCHATHANI, Thailand — The family of a 1-year-old boy has sought help from the Sai Mai Tong Rod advocacy group after the child lost part of his index finger in an accident involving a hospital assistant while he was receiving treatment for a cold. The family said the boy had been admitted to a hospital for treatment and had an intravenous needle inserted into his right hand. Gauze was wrapped around the hand to secure the area before he was discharged.
According to the family, a male nursing assistant used scissors to cut away the gauze while the child was preparing to leave the hospital. After several attempts to cut through the material, the scissors accidentally struck the boy’s index finger, severing it from the fingertip to the base of the nail. The boy was immediately taken for further treatment at a hospital in Ubon Ratchathani, more than 100 kilometres away, where doctors attempted to reattach the injured finger.
The child’s uncle Thongsuay and cousin Amornrat said the family remained deeply distressed by the incident and had yet to receive an apology from either the nursing assistant or the hospital.
They said the boy’s father had gone to the car to collect belongings while his mother remained with him as the gauze was being removed. The mother reportedly noticed that part of the child’s finger had been severed and called the father back.
Hospital staff then removed the nursing assistant from the area and other medical personnel took over the child’s care. The family said the boy underwent two X-rays and two procedures to control the bleeding before the severed part of the finger was placed in an ice container and transported with him to the Ubon Ratchathani hospital.
Doctors performed two operations in an attempt to reattach the finger. The first operation was unsuccessful, but the second operation succeeded in reconnecting it. However, doctors have not yet been able to determine whether the finger will regain normal function. The family said the reattached finger currently has only about a 20–30% connection, while the child’s small blood vessels have made it difficult for the tissue to heal properly. The boy remains in hospital and is recovering from the procedures. The family said he has begun to regain his cheerful mood, although he has experienced throat pain following surgery and has not yet been able to eat normally.
The child’s father said staff from the first hospital visited the boy on Saturday and brought a flower basket and 4,000 baht. The hospital reportedly described the money as assistance for fuel and accommodation expenses for relatives, as the hospital could not allow family members to stay with the child.
The father said he did not accept the money, which, along with the flower basket, remained on a table beside the child’s hospital bed. The family has filed a daily police report at Loeng Nok Tha Police Station. Police reportedly advised the family to first discuss the matter with the hospital, but no formal negotiations have yet taken place.
The family is seeking compensation and all rights and assistance to which the child may be entitled. They said they would pursue the matter further once the boy’s condition improves. Niran Kaengaew of Sai Mai Tong Rod said the group would coordinate with the Ministry of Public Health to help the family seek assistance under Section 41 of the National Health Security Act, which provides compensation for patients affected by medical treatment under specified conditions. The group also plans to coordinate on the legal aspects of the case and determine what further action may be appropriate. (TNA)
