Infection After Surgery Leaves 7 Blind In Khon Kaen

[richieudon]

Let's put this in perspective; It is an unfortunate common occurrence in all hospitals to have such infections when sterilization protocols are not followed. In the west we see outbreaks of c. difficile in hospitals with subsequent mortality. Every month hospitals throughout the world report in house infections. I can recall one surgery theater complex at the Royal Victoria hospital in Canada being closed for months due to mold in the ventilation system, the Walter Reed army hospital(I believe) in the USA having performed colonoscopies without following proper procedures and then having to test hundreds for Hepatitis C infections and the hospital in Paris that had unsterilized surgical instruments. I am not downplaying this, but this tragedy is a common occurrence.

What I fail to understand is how it was Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It's opportunistic for sure, but subsequent to cataract surgery, I dunno. You see it in immunosupressed patients, like cancer and AIDS patients. True, the steroid eyedrops you take after the surgery dn't help, but I have a hunch the antibiotic eyedrops taken after the surgery will have a role in this.I am willing to bet, the drugs used after surgery were not up to snuff. A proper treatment following surgery should have prevented this. The physician that examined the eye at surgery + 24hr should have seen the telltale signs of the infection and it would have been evident at surgery +72hours. There is info not being stated in this case.

On the positive side at least the hospital owned up to responsibility, which is not the usual situation. This was a preventable tragedy and for those that continue to harp on how much better hospitals in Thailand are compared to the west, let this be a warning. More importantly, I'd like to see an expat deal with the small compensation package. In the meantime, my heart goes out to the injured. It's times like this you just want to clock the doctor(s) that were responsible.

Yes they owned up to the responsibility BUT 100,000 baht compensation is a joke.

This is a government hospital so these poor souls will probably be poor people.

The government should step in and award some decent compensation.

If it was anyone in a high social standing that happened by chance to be in the same boat, I wonder then how much would be dished out.

"They're only farmers, give 'em a drink and they'll be happy" it sickens me.

I really feel for the poor in this country

[Thai at Heart]

Khon Kaen hospital is the one going straight on past city hall.

You've lost me JJ!

Me too. If it is the one on Srichant, it is just down the road from the prison, but not City Hall.

Edited January 5, 2010 by Thai at Heart

[citizen33]

Khon Kaen hospital is the one going straight on past city hall.

You've lost me JJ!

Me too. If it is the one on Srichant, it is just down the road from the prison, but not City Hall.

And just to answer a question from an earlier poster, this is not the University Hospital - Srinakarin - which has an excellent reputation, and indeed treated some of the affected patients transferred from the Khon Kaen Hospital (the provincial public hospital).

[steffi]

Khon Kaen hospital is the one going straight on past city hall.

You've lost me JJ!

Me too. If it is the one on Srichant, it is just down the road from the prison, but not City Hall.

And just to answer a question from an earlier poster, this is not the University Hospital - Srinakarin - which has an excellent reputation, and indeed treated some of the affected patients transferred from the Khon Kaen Hospital (the provincial public hospital).

Ok the provincial hospital is the one where people sitting on the pavement outside under the trees for most of the day. My wife's family has a house out by the University of Technology near the Royal Thai Irrigation center so I have to pass this "provincial" hospital every time I go into town down that long main road into town.

[webfact]

UPDATE

3 more patients of Khon Kaen Hospital may turn blind

Three more patients are at risk of losing their eyesight due to infections during eye surgeries at the Khon Kaen Hospital.

Earlier, seven other patients have already been blinded in at least one eye for the same reason.

The hospital has now suspected that disposable eye cleaner might have caused the infections, which affected 11 of 25 patients undergoing the surgeries in mid-December.

The hospital's director Dr Weerapan Supanchaimat Wednesday revealed that lab tests on 85 surgical tools and samples of air showed no signs of pathogens.

-- The Nation 2010-01-06

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[geriatrickid]

The hospital has now suspected that disposable eye cleaner might have caused the infections, which affected 11 of 25 patients undergoing the surgeries in mid-December.

The hospital's director Dr Weerapan Supanchaimat Wednesday revealed that lab tests on 85 surgical tools and samples of air showed no signs of pathogens.

BINGO. How much do you want to bet that someone was reusing the eye cleaners or the product sourced did not meet the quality standards. The hospital may not be at fault if the supplier was providing contaminated products. This is typical of these events and happens all over the world. I remember a batch of surgical blades in Canada and the USA sourced from India that were breaking off during surgery causing serious problems. They were recalled after one patient had a blade break during back surgery. If it is an outside supplier, I hope it is named. It would be interesting to see if it was Indian or Chinese.

Edited January 6, 2010 by geriatrickid

[chiang mai]

I fly to Bangkok in 3 hours for cataract surgery on my left eye. I have had the right done already at Rutnin Eye Hospital. I can't imagine a better hospital exists even in the US. Double the money it would have cost up here in the north, but I think in this case you get what you pay for. Lovely. Clean, new, well structured pre and post op procedures, drugs etc. well labeled, clear instructions, well pleased. 29 doctors-- only eyes. No pain. Great sight. It's on the web, of course. Making the appointment is the hardest part.

Can you share with us the cost of cataract surgery on a single eye? I need to undergoe the procedure and am torn currently between Bumrungrad and the Rutnin so it may come down to cost, all other things being equal. I also need to find a doctor who is willing to perform the procedure whilst I continue taking anti coagulants so if you have any, ahem, insight into that aspect, I'll be grateful.

[Pib]

And prescribe you loads of pills that are useless but doctors get money for selling to patients.

If a Thai leaves a clinic/hospital without at least 3 to 4 different pills to take for a week then that Thai will probably feel they didn't get proper medical care...right or wrong, it's the culture/mindset.

[webfact]

UPDATE

Ten patients became partially blind at Khon Kaen hospital

By The Nation

Published on January 8, 2010

It is now official that 10 out of 25 patients undergoing cataract surgery at the Khon Kaen Hospital in midDecember have lost sight in one of their eyes.

Doctors at the hospital yesterday confirmed that weekslong treatment failed to restore the sight in the eyes of three more patients. Earlier this week, the hospital already announced that seven other patients suffered from permanent partial blindness due to serious eye infections that might have taken place in the operating theatres.

Between December 14 and December 16, 25 patients underwent eye surgery to treat cataracts at the Khon Kaen Hospital. Of them, 11 reported serious eye infections.

Just one patient, Thongpak Thongrak, has satisfactorily recovered from the symptoms.

The shocking cases of eyesight losses have hurt the Khon Kaen Hospital's image.

Since news reports spread that many patients got serious eye infections from the surgeries, the number of patients seeking eye treatments at the hospital has dropped by 10fold. For years, the Khon Kaen Hospital's eye division had treated between 200 and 300 outpatients each day. However, the number of patients now stood at just between 20 and 30.

Most people who showed up for eye treatment yesterday did not know about the shocking cases. When informed by reporters, many decided to see a doctor elsewhere.

Nualjan Pongnam, the daughter of a patient who became partially blind, yesterday said she was grieved about her father's loss of eyesight.

"If the hospital does not take care of my dad well from now, I will file a lawsuit," she said. She added that she had already consulted a lawyer about the matter.

She said the hospital promised to find a "beautiful" artificial eye for her father.

Due to serious eye infections, doctors had to remove the infected eyes of two patients.

"We will give the patients the best artificial eyes available," hospital director Dr Weerapan Supanchaimat promised yesterday.

He said his hospital had not yet determined why the infections took place.

"We have already thrown away 85 surgical tools and medical appliances in the operating theatres as heightened safety measures," Weerapan said.

As for the permanent facilities inside the operation theatres, he said the hospital staff had already cleaned them thoroughly.

Public Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr Paijit Warachit said he had already assigned a panel to inspect the operation theatres at the Hospital in a bid to determine the exact cause of the eye infections.

"The conclusion from the panel will be used to develop guidelines for the prevention of such cases," he said.

-- The Nation 2010-01-08

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[moe666]

Infection can happen in hospitals world wide. The US government will no longer pay for post op. treatment of infections after a operation they paid for to begin with.

[webfact]

Ten who lost sight given Bt300,000 each

By The Nation

Published on January 9, 2010

The Khon Kaen Hospital yesterday agreed to pay comฌpensatory damages to each of ten people who became blind after undergoing eye surgery at the hospital.

Hospital director Dr Weeraphan Suphanchaiyamart said four of the ten were government officials. They received Bt130,000 from their government welfare plan and Bt170,000 from the hospital. The other six also received Bt130,000 from unidentified sources and Bt170,000 from the hospital.

Weeraphan said the hospiฌtal would provide free artificial eyeballs for those in need of them as well as other free care and treatment "for the rest of their lives".

Of five patients who underwent eye surgery shortly before the government hospital suspended all of its ophthalmologic operations, one of them was regaining sight and given Bt50,000 "consolation pay."

Police have not yet taken any action over criminal liability against medical staff responsible for the blinding. Weeraphan mentioned nothing about the hospital's legal responsibilities apart from paying Bt130,000 to each of the ten victims.

Before its ophthalmologic operations were cancelled, the hospital operated on the eyes of 25 people from December 1416 last year, including the 10 who became blind. Initial probe results found that an eye cleaner used for the surgeries that had expired might have caused bacterial infections.

Dr Weeraphan yesterday identified the bacteria as pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pheng Kongsee, a 62yearold farmer whose one good eye became blind after undergoing surgery, said she did not blame the medical staff and she had received moral support and consolation from the hospital. "I don't hold a grudge against them. It is an accident and they have given me good care. I only wish they will take care of me for good, because I am not rich, and frequent hospital care would cost me quite a lot."

-- The Nation 2010-01-09

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[delmersomsri]

My heart goes out to those who were affected by this unfortunate event. At first I was so angry that I could not stop my mind from spinning long enough to make any response. I'm still angry however the medical profession here in Thailand does not deserve silence. So here goes. I have been in two major hospitals and one clinic here in Bangkok. The unsanitary conditions were appalling. The stench on the fourth floor of one hospital drove me outside for fresh air. The floors and furnitures are dirty. Dust everywhere. Odors permeate the air leaving you to guess what caused that foul odor and why hasn't something been done to eliminate it? My niece works for one of these hospitals and has the most unsanitary behavior of any of my Thai relatives. One evening we decided to have dinner at an open air market. Instead of ordering a soda or bottle of water my niece partoke of the community drinking bucket with the community drinking cup with no hesitations. I almost lost it, my dinner! She also brings her four year old brat for weekend visits which as you have guessed I could do without when she is hacking and coughing. No hands cover the mouth or if I'm not mistaken no washing of the hands. She should know better working at a hospital. Where is the education? Do they teach health in the schools? I guess not! I laughed when I read that Thailand was expecting 16 million tourist to visit for medical treaments. One look or one whiff of the air and I'm sure some will be off to other lands. I give the Thai medical workers high grades for their work ethics but a very low grade on their education level. Sorry for rambling. I'm still angry and amazed! Again my heart goes out to them and their families for their new impairment or total loss of sight.

[peterallard]

AP via Yahoo has an interesting piece today about post-op infections. The New England Journal of Medicine reports a dramatic decline in the rate of infection when the patient is bathed in antiseptic and treated with a nasal ointment before the procedure. Check it out. It might be a useful DIY treatment before surgery in the LOS.

[webfact]

Woman's blindness 'not down to surgery'

By The Nation on Sunday

Published on January 10, 2010

An Amnat Charoen woman yesterday claimed to have lost her sight following eye surgery at Khon Kaen University's Srinakarin Hospital, whilst the hospital said her condition resulted from a viral infection and not the procedure.

Nongkran Sawasud, 48, said she had undergone an operation last July after suffering from blurred vision, after which she suffered from eye irritation. She went back to see the doctors several times, at a cost of Bt1,000 for transportation and meals on each occasion.

She lost her sight in both eyes in December. After hearing about Khon Kaen Central Hospital's cataract-surgery patients becoming blind after procedures, she decided to ask for help.

Srinakarin Hospital told a press conference yesterday that Nongkran had a retinal infection caused the cytomegalo virus and consequential glaucoma, but that she had not visited doctors consistently - the last time being on October 27, which was followed by a missed appointment in November.

The hospital said that as a result of the infection and glaucoma, plus her intermittent treatment, she eventually lost her sight.

While insisting that the blindness resulted from the disease itself - whose severity depends on a patient's immune system - and not from surgery, the hospital said it was willing to receive her for further treatment.

However, it added, her case would not qualify for compensation under Article 41 of the Health Act.

-- The Nation 2010-01-10

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[Longtooth]

Well, I had my second cataract surgery at Rutnin three days ago. Perfect. Automatic sliding glass doors to the pre-op and operating rooms. You gown-up in pre-op and they give you white shoes with a pair of tongs. Post-op medications in a little purse-like bag with super-clear instructions. I had Dr. Roy Chumdermpadetsuk,who has the steady hands of a diamond-cutter and who speaks better American-English than I do, and I'm from California. Lovely, lovely. I always see well-dressed people from countries other than Thailand there, so I'm thinking it is probably the best in the region, let alone in Thailand. Rutnin Eye Hospital has been here for 45 years. Education, learning from experience, striving for perfection... it depends if a hospital administrator cares or not, I would say. I'm sure cost and profit are in there also, unfortunately. But "culture", if it is not the correct "culture" (using "business-speak" for "culture" in a business, not talking about a country's culture) needs to be changed if it is going to be disadvantageous. Once bacteria was discovered with the invention of the microscope, it seems like the road ahead to clean hospital conditions should be clearly seen. I dunno....

[mca]

You gown-up in pre-op and they give you white shoes with a pair of tongs.

Now that's service. You get to select your own cakes and pastries.

[mythBuster]

If the permanent health secretary has no clue how it ended up in the operating room, I would advise the government to immediately discharge the man for his incompetence. Pseudomonas is extremely widespread in hospitals and the fact that it is almost only causing havoc in hospital patients is because there are people to be found who have compromised defense systems. The number of people with infections increases with 20% within 48 hours of admission. Infections could be dramatically reduced by cleaning the nose with a gel and cleaning the groin.

All infections are treatable but acute infections in hospitals lead to staggering mortality rates. The fact that Thai hospitals are understaffed, not clean and that the staff is not properly trained in much cases or are put under pressure by the great number of patients makes it understandable that instruments are not sterilized properly and operating rooms are not cleaned according world standards. Whereas the bacteria is found in 4 out of 1000 discharged patients in countries like the US, the number in Thai patients is close to 30.

The fact that the military coup takers took money from the public health sector and used it for their own budget and that this government took away money again is not helpful. The permanent secretary is living in a land called Utopia if he is even slightly amazed and he is holding thousands of similar cases under wrap (not necessarily eyesight patients, but in all patients). I am happy to invite him for a lecture.

[somchaiq]

The hospital's committee on the control and prevention of infectious diseases reported that the infections had been caused by the Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria

More details can be found at Wikipedia

[crocodilexp]

Yes they owned up to the responsibility BUT 100,000 baht compensation is a joke.

This is a government hospital so these poor souls will probably be poor people.

The government should step in and award some decent compensation.

I agree compensation is a joke, but it depends on the perspective... For an upcountry Thai earning 5,000 baht per month, that's 20 month's earnings. For an American making $2,000/mo after tax, equivalent would be $40,000.

Be careful what you wish for. Compensation money has to come from somewhere, and it would be from the middle class and poor (higher taxes, cut back services), NOT from the Thai elites (who have so much power that they can literally get away with murder). If it was too high, the lawyers would also need their 300% cut. Better to do what can be done medically, provide some compensation, and rectify the cause of the problem... then to go for the American-style malpractice madness.

Of course, I think they will just ignore the problem -- Thai culture does not like to confront and correct mistakes.

[sassienie]

1 year ago my 82 year old mother in law went to a well known eye hospital here in Chiang Mai for the removal of a cataract.

The doctor that operated on her made a horrific job of the operation. After 5 days my mother in law`s eye was just a ball of red jelly with some puss hanging off of it.

I thought that I had seem everything in my lifetime and that nothing could ever shock me, but when I saw the eye, it was beyond belief.

The Doctor had charged my mother in law 25000 baht for the main op and than additional fees for trying to stop the infection that totalled 31000 baht. Instead of sending her to another hospital that had better facilities to try and correct the mess this eye hospital had made of the job, the Doctor was prepared to let my mother in law die from infection rather than spoil his reputation.

I visited the eye hospital, cleared his surgery and gave the Doctor a balling out. He refunded the 31000 baht.

On the same day we took my mother in law to another hospital in Chiang Mai. After examination the Doctor told us that my Mother in law has a most severe eye infection and if not operated on within the next 2 days, she will go blind and plus the infection will probably spread with fatal consequences.

I asked about the 30 baht scheme, as the hospital was a participant in the scheme. The Doctor said that if we choose that option there is no guarantee that my mother in law can be seen for a least a month. So I asked OK, HOW MUCH. About 80000 baht replied the Doctor. Thought about it and said, yes, go ahead. It was either pay or let her die.

So the operation was performed the following day and then after 2 weeks of intensive care, the life of my mother in law was spared, although she had most of the eye removed and lost the sight of her eye.

Up to date, the eye is still a mess and she requires regular visits to a hospital for the continued treatment of infection.

[BigWheelMan]

1 year ago my 82 year old mother in law went to a well known eye hospital here in Chiang Mai for the removal of a cataract.

The doctor that operated on her made a horrific job of the operation. After 5 days my mother in law`s eye was just a ball of red jelly with some puss hanging off of it.

I thought that I had seem everything in my lifetime and that nothing could ever shock me, but when I saw the eye, it was beyond belief.

The Doctor had charged my mother in law 25000 baht for the main op and than additional fees for trying to stop the infection that totalled 31000 baht. Instead of sending her to another hospital that had better facilities to try and correct the mess this eye hospital had made of the job, the Doctor was prepared to let my mother in law die from infection rather than spoil his reputation.

I visited the eye hospital, cleared his surgery and gave the Doctor a balling out. He refunded the 31000 baht.

On the same day we took my mother in law to another hospital in Chiang Mai. After examination the Doctor told us that my Mother in law has a most severe eye infection and if not operated on within the next 2 days, she will go blind and plus the infection will probably spread with fatal consequences.

I asked about the 30 baht scheme, as the hospital was a participant in the scheme. The Doctor said that if we choose that option there is no guarantee that my mother in law can be seen for a least a month. So I asked OK, HOW MUCH. About 80000 baht replied the Doctor. Thought about it and said, yes, go ahead. It was either pay or let her die.

So the operation was performed the following day and then after 2 weeks of intensive care, the life of my mother in law was spared, although she had most of the eye removed and lost the sight of her eye.

Up to date, the eye is still a mess and she requires regular visits to a hospital for the continued treatment of infection.

That sounds horrific and have my sympathy.

Some years ago, I heard of similar stories of lazar eye treatments going terribly wrong in the UK.

Problem is, we only have one set of eyes, so in cases like these, there can be no errors.

I would think once, twice and a million times before having this sort of operation.

[Jingthing]

I would think once, twice and a million times before having this sort of operation.

I doubt you would actually. Advanced cataracts lead to blindness anyway.

[phetaroi]

Hmmm.... and how does this line up with their claim of being up to world class standards and having tourists flocking to thailand for medical procedures ....

I feel pity for the people that have lost their sight .... i cannot imagine the shock of looking forward (no pun intended) to a live with no sight .... it must be crushing

Just a word of caution here. While what happened was inexcusable, remember that these kinds of things happen all over the world...including the 1st world. For example, remember this story?: "10 veterans test positive for hepatitis after colonoscopies:

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — The Veterans Affairs department says 10 people have tested positive for infectious liver disease since they were exposed to contaminated colonoscopy equipment. The 10 are among thousands of patients who have been warned to get blood tests since being treated at VA facilities in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Miami and Augusta, Ga. All three sites failed to properly sterilize equipment between treatments."

Just last April.

Quite a few years ago in an American hospital back when you still tended to have mostly semi-private rooms, the other patient in my room had one leg amputated. Too bad they goofed and amputated the wrong one.

Again, shame on the Thai hospital, no excuse for their medical practices, but some posters are making it sound like this kind of thing only happens in Thailand.

Edited January 10, 2010 by phetaroi

[webfact]

KHON KAEN HOSPITAL

IN THE DARK

By Saovalak Kongpakpoon

Sompoch Sombat

Chayanont Praneet

The Nation

Khon Kaen

Published on January 11, 2010

As the mysteries continues over how so many patients in a charitable eye-operation programme for the old and poor got infected and went blind, ten victims struggle to cope as their lives go from bad to worse

Cataract surgery been part of a government healthcare project that gave hope and shed light on darkness. But operations at Khon Kaen Hospital have become haunting nightmares for 10 patients who are now blind in at least one eye.

The loss of eyesight came from serious infections that took place right inside the surgical theatre, adding to the pain and suffering of the old and poor, who had chosen the cheap, state-sponsored operations as a last resort.

"My heart broke," Jai Mankong said tearfully.

He sighed deeply when looking at his security-guard uniform.

"I'm struggling hard to adjust to my life at home, let alone to resuming work. It will be a very long absence from my job," he said.

One of his eyes was removed following the infection.

Nang Oun-sua, 65, said she cried a lot because the partial blindness caused much difficulty for her life.

"I cannot even walk unassisted in my home," she said.

She used to believe that she was so familiar with her house that she could walk around with her eyes closed. However, now that she is blind in one eye, she knows she was wrong.

"I walked right into a pole inside the house and fell down," she said.

Another victim, Uam Kaeso, was still trembling when asked about her condition. She lost the sight of her left eye after undergoing cataract surgery at the hospital.

"I don't want to talk about it," the widow said. Her husband had just died and she was hardly getting over it when the eye infection added salt to her emotional wounds.

Other blinded patients are hardly better off.

Wan Kamnongpai, 69, is now spending his life in front of a TV set that he can never see again. Blind in his right eye since childhood, the man has now become totally sightless because his other eye got seriously infected during the recent cataract surgery.

He can no longer live a normal life.

With his wife by his side, Wan has chosen to listen to the voices from the TV to prevent him from getting too depressed.

Peng Kongsee confessed that the partial blindness had hurt her deeply.

"I was shocked and grieved," she said about her feelings when her doctor told her that her right eye would never see again.

Through encouragement from her children and the doctors' pledge to take good care of her health, Peng has been trying hard to get over her loss.

"I have to tell myself that I might have done something wrong in my past life and the bad deeds were getting at me," she said.

Her daughter, Jariya Ployres, said she felt so sorry for her mother. Crying has now left her eyes so red.

Niyom Saengnoy's chicken-rice stall has been closed for nearly one month now. It was because he has not yet been able to return to a normal life after he lost the sight of his right eye because of the fateful cataract operation.

"At first, the loss was too much to bear. I kept blaming the doctors," Niyom said.

But after hearing their explanations, he was totally convinced that no doctor would ever want to blind his patients.

"So I keep telling myself that my life will have to go on. I will fight on," he said.

He plans to return to his chicken-rice stall as soon as he has fully recovered.

Dr Weerasak Anut-angkoon, head of the hospital's ophthalmology division, said the case doctors were also deeply hurt about what happened to their patients.

"They have taken leave and turned to temples in a bid to seek peace of mind," he said.

Weerasak said no doctor wanted such things to happen.

"But now that they happened, we will do our best to help the affected patients and to prevent such complications from happening in the future," he said.

Pan Janruang, one of the victims, thinks doctors showed responsibility for what had happened.

"So, I hold no grudges against them. By the way, if they fail to honour the promise to give me free treatment throughout my life, I will sue them," Pan said.

All the blinded patients were those receiving cataract surgery at Khon Kaen Hospital from December 14-15.

Each of these 10 patients are entitled to Bt300,000 compensation, free medical services for life and, if their eyes were removed, free quality artificial eyeballs.

Thongpak Thongrak, who received only Bt50,000 compensation, was the only fortunate one to get infected without losing her eyesight.

Bacterial infection affected her eye but another operation saved it.

"I was over the moon when I found out about one week later that I can still see," she said.

-- The Nation 2010-01-11

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[scorecard]

KHON KAEN HOSPITAL

IN THE DARK

By Saovalak Kongpakpoon

Sompoch Sombat

Chayanont Praneet

The Nation

Khon Kaen

Published on January 11, 2010

As the mysteries continues over how so many patients in a charitable eye-operation programme for the old and poor got infected and went blind, ten victims struggle to cope as their lives go from bad to worse

Cataract surgery been part of a government healthcare project that gave hope and shed light on darkness. But operations at Khon Kaen Hospital have become haunting nightmares for 10 patients who are now blind in at least one eye.

The loss of eyesight came from serious infections that took place right inside the surgical theatre, adding to the pain and suffering of the old and poor, who had chosen the cheap, state-sponsored operations as a last resort.

"My heart broke," Jai Mankong said tearfully.

He sighed deeply when looking at his security-guard uniform.

"I'm struggling hard to adjust to my life at home, let alone to resuming work. It will be a very long absence from my job," he said.

One of his eyes was removed following the infection.

Nang Oun-sua, 65, said she cried a lot because the partial blindness caused much difficulty for her life.

"I cannot even walk unassisted in my home," she said.

She used to believe that she was so familiar with her house that she could walk around with her eyes closed. However, now that she is blind in one eye, she knows she was wrong.

"I walked right into a pole inside the house and fell down," she said.

Another victim, Uam Kaeso, was still trembling when asked about her condition. She lost the sight of her left eye after undergoing cataract surgery at the hospital.

"I don't want to talk about it," the widow said. Her husband had just died and she was hardly getting over it when the eye infection added salt to her emotional wounds.

Other blinded patients are hardly better off.

Wan Kamnongpai, 69, is now spending his life in front of a TV set that he can never see again. Blind in his right eye since childhood, the man has now become totally sightless because his other eye got seriously infected during the recent cataract surgery.

He can no longer live a normal life.

With his wife by his side, Wan has chosen to listen to the voices from the TV to prevent him from getting too depressed.

Peng Kongsee confessed that the partial blindness had hurt her deeply.

"I was shocked and grieved," she said about her feelings when her doctor told her that her right eye would never see again.

Through encouragement from her children and the doctors' pledge to take good care of her health, Peng has been trying hard to get over her loss.

"I have to tell myself that I might have done something wrong in my past life and the bad deeds were getting at me," she said.

Her daughter, Jariya Ployres, said she felt so sorry for her mother. Crying has now left her eyes so red.

Niyom Saengnoy's chicken-rice stall has been closed for nearly one month now. It was because he has not yet been able to return to a normal life after he lost the sight of his right eye because of the fateful cataract operation.

"At first, the loss was too much to bear. I kept blaming the doctors," Niyom said.

But after hearing their explanations, he was totally convinced that no doctor would ever want to blind his patients.

"So I keep telling myself that my life will have to go on. I will fight on," he said.

He plans to return to his chicken-rice stall as soon as he has fully recovered.

Dr Weerasak Anut-angkoon, head of the hospital's ophthalmology division, said the case doctors were also deeply hurt about what happened to their patients.

"They have taken leave and turned to temples in a bid to seek peace of mind," he said.

Weerasak said no doctor wanted such things to happen.

"But now that they happened, we will do our best to help the affected patients and to prevent such complications from happening in the future," he said.

Pan Janruang, one of the victims, thinks doctors showed responsibility for what had happened.

"So, I hold no grudges against them. By the way, if they fail to honour the promise to give me free treatment throughout my life, I will sue them," Pan said.

All the blinded patients were those receiving cataract surgery at Khon Kaen Hospital from December 14-15.

Each of these 10 patients are entitled to Bt300,000 compensation, free medical services for life and, if their eyes were removed, free quality artificial eyeballs.

Thongpak Thongrak, who received only Bt50,000 compensation, was the only fortunate one to get infected without losing her eyesight.

Bacterial infection affected her eye but another operation saved it.

"I was over the moon when I found out about one week later that I can still see," she said.

-- The Nation 2010-01-11

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

Why didn't the Nation complete the piece by including some details of:

- How it happened,

- Who is considered to be responsible,

- Whether any action will be taken against whoever is responsible,

- What compensation and other on-going help is being given to the victims,

- Whether there has at least been any formal apology to the victims and by whom,

- What actions are being taken by an appropriate medical authority to properly investigate the matter and

- What actions are being taken to ensure there is process whereby this cannot happen again, etc.

Again, many items of normal structure of a news piece (news report) missing, and why did the sub-editor accept it for printing without at least some of the points I've mentioned above?

Edited January 11, 2010 by scorecard

[hanssna]

I'm speechless as well.

What a large amount of people in the same time, and a horribly low compensation.