Mother Demands Accountability Two Months After Nurse Assistant Severed Toddler's Finger
A nurse assistant accidentally severed a one-year-old boy's finger while removing IV gauze in September. Two months later, the toddler remains hospitalized with permanent tissue damage, while the family says the hospital has offered no apology, the staff member has returned to work, and compensation is stalled by bureaucracy. The mother is appealing to the Public Health Minister for concrete accountability and disciplinary action.
It has been two months with no accountability. The mother of young Yufa weeps as her son remains hospitalized after a nurse assistant severed his finger. The toddler still panics at the sight of scissors. The family feels the hospital is protecting the wrongdoer and asks how many hours of guilt the person feels. The nurse assistant has reportedly already returned to work. The family wants tangible accountability, not just empty promises.
The heart-wrenching case dates back to September when one-year-old Yufa suffered a medical error. A nurse assistant, while using scissors to remove gauze securing an IV line, accidentally cut off the child's finger. The hospital transferred the boy to a facility in Ubon Ratchathani for reattachment surgery.
On November 3, reporters revealed that 24-year-old Ms. Wipaporn, Yufa's mother, posted a photo of her son with the message: "I've been in the hospital for nearly two months. How many hours of guilt does the person who cut my finger feel? Living like they did nothing wrong. What kind of person feels nothing at all?"
Speaking through tears, Ms. Wipaporn said her son's condition is gradually improving. He is receiving antibiotics, wound cleaning, and waiting for dead tissue at the fingertip to dry. Although the finger was saved, there is permanent damage and tissue loss.
The family feels aggrieved that the hospital appears to protect the responsible party, offering no psychological support or genuine problem-solving — only vague promises to wait. Both mother and child remain traumatized, panicking at the sight of scissors or recalling the incident. Only the psychiatric team from Sappasitthiprasong Hospital has provided proper mental health care.
When the family contacted the Yasothon Provincial Health Office for updates on the investigation and compensation, they were told medical records are still pending. Compensation is delayed because the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health has retired, no replacement has been appointed, and the fiscal year transition is causing further delays.
Worse, the family discovered the nurse assistant has returned to work at the same hospital, merely transferred to a different department. Since the incident, neither the nurse assistant nor the hospital has offered a single apology or expression of regret.
Ms. Wipaporn appeals to the Minister of Public Health to expedite disciplinary action and enforce concrete accountability, not just verbal assurances of "full responsibility." She worries about her son's future — whether his finger will heal properly and function normally, as the wound has not fully healed and the long-term outlook remains uncertain.
