Hospital Sends Woman for Physical Therapy; She Dies Shortly After
A 44-year-old woman died at a Kanchanaburi provincial hospital after being sent for physical therapy despite critical symptoms; her brother alleges doctors repeatedly dismissed her deteriorating condition as obesity-related spinal curvature
On November 3, 2026, 25-year-old Natthi, the brother of the deceased, gave an interview to the press. He said his 44-year-old sister had been suffering from lower right back pain and went to see a doctor at a provincial hospital in Kanchanaburi. On the first visit, the doctor ordered an X-ray of the painful area, found spinal curvature, prescribed painkillers, and scheduled a follow-up for December 2.
A few days after the first visit, his sister slipped in the bathroom, aggravating the pain in her already injured back. She could still walk with a cane. After the fall, Natthi took her to see a doctor before the scheduled appointment. By that time, she had begun to feel dizzy, her legs were weak, and she could not walk on her own, requiring a wheelchair.
When the doctor learned of the fall, he consulted another physician and prescribed stronger painkillers for her to take at home, without giving an injection or any other intervention. From the first to the second visit, her pain had not subsided at all. The examining doctor maintained that the symptoms likely stemmed from age-related spinal curvature, compounded by her obesity, and scheduled another appointment in two weeks. Natthi felt that after two visits with no improvement, the doctor should have conducted further tests to find the cause.
After the second hospital visit, her condition worsened. Her right arm and right leg grew weak; she could not eat on her own and needed a quad cane to walk. She then fell in the bathroom two more times. Natthi rushed her to a district hospital, where she received a pain injection.
Her condition then deteriorated severely. She became delirious, could not lie flat, and had to constantly turn her body to relieve the pain. They decided to return to the provincial hospital. Upon arrival, they went to the emergency room, but staff refused entry and directed them to the orthopedic department for another back X-ray. After the X-ray, the examining doctor spoke with her and asked them to wait for a specialist in the evening.
When the specialist arrived in the evening, he spoke with the sister and said her symptoms were due to her obesity. He recommended gastric bypass surgery to lose weight and discussed costs, without addressing the pain she was suffering. He then sent her to the physical therapy department to be fitted with a brace and scheduled for physical therapy.
However, when she reached the physical therapy room, the staff noticed her condition was deteriorating—her face was pale, she was sweating, and she was writhing in pain. They quickly called emergency staff to take her back to the ER. Upon arrival, she was assessed as being in critical condition.
