Safety measures doubted after Yaba addict bites off Thai nurse’s finger

A Thai nurse raised concerns regarding safety measures for medical professionals after a Yaba (methamphetamine) addict lost control during treatment at a hospital and bit off a colleague’s finger.

The nurse, whose identity remains undisclosed, revealed to the public that the shocking incident took place on Monday, October 23, and was the most frightening event she had experienced in 11 years of practice. She began the story by asking, “Should medical workers bring a weapon to work?”

The nurse explained that the police had brought the drug addict to hospital for a mental health evaluation, even though the addict had no history of mental illness. His violent behaviour was attributed solely to the influence of the hallucinogenic drug.

According to the nurse, she gave the addict an injection and tied him to a bed to prevent possible danger to himself, other patients, medical professionals and other staff in the hospital.

Unfortunately, the addict’s relatives arrived in his room and untied him. The addict then began to cause chaos and was out of control to the extent that the druggie’s family had to call a nurse for help.

The nurse and her colleague rushed to the scene and tried to control the addict, giving him another injection to calm him down. Regrettably, during the struggle, the addict bit off her colleague’s finger, leaving her in shock. The nurse said she was crying too much but could not help taking the finger back to her colleague. The colleague had to continue giving the addict an injection despite her injury because it was her duty.

Repeated violent incidents

The nurse revealed that the same scenario happened several times in the hospital. The family and relatives would untie drug addicts, causing them to lose control, and later seek help from the medical officers. Sometimes there were only female officers and they had to beg a security guard or the police for help.

The nurse would then ask about their safety. They could not refuse to take care of drug addicts but added measures needed to be implemented to protect them from danger. She hoped that such an incident would never happen to anyone again and urged the relevant departments to prioritise the safety of medical professionals and take necessary action.

Many netizens expressed their condolences to the victim who lost a finger while others demanded that the addict’s family and relatives take responsibility for their recklessness.

ThaiRath revealed that reporters tried to interview the nurse and her colleague but they refused, saying they were not ready. This refusal may have been due to protocol to protect the hospital’s image.

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