Cancer patient narrowly avoids death after hospital’s negligence

A major Thailand hospital’s negligence nearly led to a patient’s death after some gauze was left inside her uterus during cancer treatment, causing severe infection. The patient’s son called for an explanation and accountability from the hospital.

The incident came to light when the patient‘s son, revealed on Facebook that he had to urgently rush his mother back to the hospital after a negligent incident where a doctor left gauze inside her uterus, leading to a serious infection and hospitalisation for a week.

Today, 37 year old Khwanchai Jitbanjong disclosed that his mother was diagnosed with stage 1 uterine cancer, prompting him to take her to a hospital in Pathum Thani. On June 4, doctors performed a procedure to insert radioactive seeds into her uterus.

Although the mother was under anaesthesia during the procedure, the removal of the gauze was the responsibility of another nurse. Initially, Khwanchai thought the infection was a common side effect of cancer treatment.

However, his mother’s fever did not subside despite medication, which led him to bring her back to the hospital to inform the doctors of her deteriorating condition.

Despite having government-funded cancer treatment, the hospital did not initially provide treatment, forcing Khwanchai to pay out of pocket. It was only after the infection was confirmed that antibiotics were prescribed.

Denied care

On June 10, he returned to the hospital, hoping to get treatment under the free government cancer care scheme, but was dishearteningly referred to a general physician instead.

He expressed frustration over the hospital’s response, as he had already spent a significant amount of money on treatment despite having the right to free care. The hospital’s refusal to provide cancer-specific medication without charge led him to seek treatment at a private clinic, where his mother’s condition worsened.

Khwanchai decided to take his mother to a state hospital in Ang Thong, where doctors indicated they had no further treatment options and advised him to wait until the scheduled follow-up with the Pathum Thani hospital. Over the weekend, his mother’s condition worsened, with severe abdominal pain and increased discomfort.

On June 14, his mother coughed, causing the gauze to protrude from her vaginal canal. Khwanchai’s father assisted in the removal before immediately rushing her to the state hospital in Ang Thong, where doctors expressed their confusion about the ordeal and provided a transfer letter back to the Pathum Thani hospital.

Upon arrival, Khwanchai insisted on using the government-funded treatment, arguing that the infection was due to the hospital’s negligence. Initially, three hospital departments refused to open the treatment rights, leading him to contact the media. This prompted the hospital staff to change their stance and offer the necessary treatment.

Khwanchai expressed his disappointment, stating that if he hadn’t used media pressure, his mother might not have received the necessary care, potentially leading to her death. He highlighted the lack of accountability from the hospital, noting that the incident should never have occurred, especially in a teaching hospital, reported KhaoSod.