A disturbing case of medical negligence has emerged from Thailand, where a 36-year-old woman from Narathiwat province has suffered nearly two decades of excruciating pain due to a suture needle left inside her vagina after childbirth. For 18 years, she endured severe abdominal discomfort without receiving proper treatment until recently.
The woman reached out to the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women, a non-profit organization that assists victims of abuse and human trafficking, earlier this month. The foundation has since been working with the Narathiwat Provincial Public Health Office to address the issue.
The incident occurred 18 years ago when a nurse accidentally dropped a needle inside the woman’s vagina while stitching her up after childbirth. Despite attempts by the doctor to remove the needle, it remained lodged inside her, causing ongoing pain and discomfort. The woman only discovered the needle’s location in 2023 through an X-ray at a government hospital. Although she has been visiting the hospital regularly for monitoring, no surgery has yet been scheduled to remove the needle.
The Pavena Foundation has vowed to continue supporting the woman and is coordinating with local authorities to arrange her hospital visits. The possibility of legal action against the responsible doctor and hospital is still unclear.
