Thai woman endures 18 years pain after nurse leaves needle in vagina

A Thai woman in the southern province of Narathiwat contacted the Paveena Foundation for Children and Women after a nurse accidentally left a needle in her vagina while stitching her up following childbirth.

A community leader in the Cho-airong district of Narathiwat brought the case of the 36 year old victim to the foundation yesterday, November 4. The leader explained that the woman could not afford the treatment and surgery costs needed to remove the needle from her body.

According to the community leader, the woman gave birth to her child 18 years ago at a hospital in the province. During the process of stitching her wound after childbirth, a nurse accidentally dropped a needle into her vagina.

The doctor attempted to locate the needle manually but was unsuccessful. He had no choice but to continue with the stitching to prevent further complications and blood loss.

Unfortunately, the needle caused the woman pain in her lower abdomen ever since. She had an X-ray last year at a hospital in the southern province of Songkhla, which confirmed that the needle was still present.

The doctor scheduled surgery for her twice but was unable to proceed because the needle continued to shift, making it difficult to pinpoint its exact location for removal.

The woman had to visit the hospital three to four times per month for follow-up treatment, which is covered under the National Health Security Office (NHSO) welfare scheme.

However, the additional costs for food and travel became a financial burden for the family. The woman then sought help from her community leader, hoping to finally have the needle removed.

Paveena Hongsakul, the founder of the foundation, promised to assist her and coordinated with the Narathiwat Provincial Social Development and Human Security Office to address her case.

The report does not state whether the woman intends to pursue legal action against the hospital, doctor, or nurse involved in the incident.

In a related case, another Thai woman nearly lost her life after a medical team left gauze inside her uterus during cancer treatment. She suffered a severe infection and turned to the media for justice after the hospital denied responsibility.