Needle Left Inside Thai Woman During Childbirth Sparks Public Backlash

An 18-year-old medical oversight has left a Thai woman in enduring pain after a suture needle was accidentally left inside her body during childbirth. The now 36-year-old from Narathiwat province revealed her ordeal to the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women, a non-profit assisting abuse victims.

The woman shared that, during labor, hospital staff mistakenly dropped a needle in her vagina while suturing and, fearing bleeding, closed the wound without retrieving it. For nearly two decades, she has suffered intermittent and severe abdominal pain.

It wasn’t until last year, after an X-ray at a government hospital, that she discovered the needle lodged inside her. Since then, she’s been referred for surgery multiple times, yet each attempt has been delayed as the needle continues shifting within her body. The woman has to make monthly hospital visits, straining her finances despite limited medical insurance coverage.

In response, the Pavena Foundation arranged for local social security to support her transport needs, and a village head now accompanies her for treatment. The case has sparked outrage, though the hospital involved has yet to comment publicly on the incident.