Community Man Dies After Being Misdiagnosed Following Fall – Family Demands Justice

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Matichon.

 

A 50-year-old man has died after reportedly being misdiagnosed by a hospital operating under Thailand’s social security healthcare scheme, with family members alleging gross medical negligence that led to his death.

 

Ms. Chadathorn Ngonhong, 28, the niece of the deceased, Mr. Pun, has appealed on 17 May, for justice through the well-known Thai advocacy page Sai Mai Tong Rod (Sai Mai Must Survive). She claimed that her uncle was dismissed from the hospital with only minor treatment after a serious fall, despite complaining of numbness and immobility.

 

The incident occurred on 21 March at around 23:00, when Mr. Pun fell from a 2-metre-high embankment near the Rangsit Canal in Pathum Thani. Rescue workers transported him to a private hospital designated under the national social security system. By 04:00 the next morning, hospital staff called the family to collect him, stating that his injuries were minor, limited to abrasions on the face and mouth.

 

Mr. Pun, who was reportedly able to speak but complained of numbness in his limbs and an inability to move, requested to be admitted for observation. However, medical staff insisted he return home.

 

As his condition worsened, relatives took him to a family member’s house where a niece, who is a qualified nurse, urged immediate further examination. He was taken to Samut Prakan Hospital, where a CT scan revealed a fracture in the fifth cervical vertebra compressing his spinal cord, confirming the severity of his condition.

 

Samut Prakan Hospital contacted the original facility to inquire whether they would continue treatment or transfer care. The first hospital accepted responsibility and arranged for Mr. Pun to be readmitted and undergo urgent spinal surgery, including cervical fusion and a tracheostomy.

 

Despite efforts, Mr. Pun succumbed to his injuries on 24 April. The official cause of death was recorded as severe spinal cord trauma with complications from a lung infection.

 

Ms. Chadathorn expressed serious concerns about the initial hospital’s failure to detect and respond to clear neurological symptoms. She stated that had proper imaging and observation been conducted immediately, her uncle might still be alive.

 

The case has been taken up by Mr. Ekkapop Luangprasert, founder of Sai Mai Must Survive, who confirmed that he will formally raise the matter with the Ministry of Public Health. He intends to bring the case to the attention of Assistant Health Minister Capt. Dr. Thanakrit Chit-Areerat to investigate the diagnostic failure and determine whether systemic issues, lack of equipment, or human error played a role.

 

“This is not about blaming doctors,” Ekkapop stated. “But we must understand where the system failed. Why was such a critical injury missed while another hospital diagnosed it immediately?”

 

Mr. Pun’s family is expected to appear at the Ministry of Public Health to demand a full investigation and accountability for what they say was a preventable death caused by inadequate initial care.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-05-19.

 

 

 

[bkk6060]

I wonder how many incidents like this occur.

[JimHuaHin]

3 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

I wonder how many incidents like this occur.

Probably many more than are reported, considering the growing shortages of medical professionals in the Thai public health care system and the number of health care workers required to work double+ shifts.

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Samut Prakan Hospital contacted the original facility to inquire whether they would continue treatment or transfer care. The first hospital accepted responsibility and arranged for Mr. Pun to be readmitted and undergo urgent spinal surgery, including cervical fusion and a tracheostomy.

Almost accepting guilt of the initial misdiagnoses?