Thai Hospital Assistant Accidentally Severs Toddler's Finger with Scissors
A one-year-old toddler in Thailand suffered a severed finger when a hospital assistant accidentally cut it with scissors. The family rejected meager compensation and initiated legal action.
A shocking medical malpractice incident occurred at a hospital in Thailand when a healthcare assistant accidentally severed the tip of a one-year-old toddler's index finger with scissors just moments before the child was scheduled to be discharged.
According to the Thai newspaper "Khaosod", the child's mother recalled the horrifying moments in the ward. The assistant inserted the scissors between the toddler's small fingers, and after several failed attempts to cut the gauze wrapped around an intravenous needle, he struck the finger, severing it from the tip to the base of the nail. "He failed to cut the wrapping repeatedly, and suddenly a large jet of blood gushed out," the distraught mother added.
The Race Against Time and Complex Surgery
Immediately following the severe injury, a multidisciplinary team provided urgent first aid. The severed part of the finger was placed in an ice container, and the toddler was rushed over 100 kilometers for specialist treatment in Ubon Ratchathani. The child underwent two X-rays and two procedures to stop the bleeding before entering the operating room. Although the second reattachment surgery was deemed technically successful, the finger's future functionality remains in severe doubt due to the minute size of the blood vessels.
"The finger is currently only 20 to 30 percent attached, and the microscopic size of the blood vessels makes tissue integration extremely difficult," family members shared with deep concern.
Hospital Response and Legal Battle
According to the "Bangkok Post", the hospital launched immediate disciplinary proceedings, suspending the staff member involved and issuing an official apology while promising to cover medical expenses and compensation. However, when hospital representatives visited the family offering a basket of flowers and a meager compensation sum, the toddler's father rejected it with fierce anger. The family has since filed a formal police complaint and initiated legal action, with their attorney vowing to pursue maximum compensation through the Thai Ministry of Public Health.
