Hospital Offers 4,000 Baht After Nurse Severs Boy's Finger
A nursing aide in Yasothon province severed a one-year-old boy's finger with paper scissors while removing IV tape on September 11, requiring two surgical procedures to reattach the fingertip. The hospital's offer of 4,000 baht and a fruit
A hospital in Yasothon province has offered 4,000 baht in compensation and a fruit basket to the family of a one-year-old boy whose right index finger was severed on September 11 when a nursing aide used paper scissors—not a medical instrument—to remove adhesive tape from an IV line. The child required two surgical procedures to reattach the fingertip. On September 12, hand and wrist surgeons at Sappasitprasong Hospital in Ubon Ratchathani successfully completed a second reattachment surgery around 1 a.m., though doctors emphasize the child remains at risk for infection and will require close monitoring due to complications from the breathing tube. The boy's 24-year-old mother said he had been recovering from a cold and was awaiting discharge when the accident occurred. The nursing aide has never appeared to apologize or take responsibility. The hospital's limited response—a fruit basket and 4,000 baht—has drawn heavy criticism online as inadequate compensation for the child's permanent injury and uncertain future. The facility has issued no written statement regarding staff discipline or long-term compensation plans. Nursing professionals and social media commentators have questioned why a nursing aide was permitted to remove the IV line, a task that should be performed by a licensed nurse under close supervision, describing the incident as gross negligence. The family has filed a criminal complaint and plans to petition the health ministry for justice and additional compensation.
