The Supreme Court, in reversing the judgements of the lower and appeal courts, has ordered a doctor, the hospital she works for and the Social Security Office (SSO) to pay 1.5 million baht in damages to the family of a woman who died as a result of medical malpractice.

The Nonthaburi Provincial Court read the order by the Supreme Court on Thursday for the SSO, Pathumrak Co Ltd and the doctor who diagnosed her to jointly pay the sum to the family of the patient, who died following treatment at Hospital in Pathum Thani in 2017.

The Supreme Court’s order reversed the decisions of the lower and appeal courts acquitting the three defendants. The family told the courts that the victim had checked in on July 23, 2017, to receive treatment for leg pain using her social security membership.

The doctor diagnosed her as suffering from tendinitis, administered an injection of Diclofenac and prescribed some medication. Less than 30 minutes after returning home in the early evening, the woman experienced weakness in her legs, had difficulty breathing and then lost consciousness.

The patient was rushed to the nearest medical facility to her home were doctors observed that her blood pressure dropped and she subsequently went into a coma.

Results of an X-ray released on July 26, 2020, revealed she had suffered a cerebral oedema. She died on Sept 12 of that year.

The court was told that he doctor had committed negligence in treating the woman. She failed to ensure the patient had spent enough time under observation at the hospital after the injection before letting her go home. The doctor had given the Diclofenac shot when she should have known the drug was not to be used for asthma sufferers such as the patient, the court was told.

The Supreme Court ordered the Hospital to pay compensation to the family. The doctor admitted the patients condition was not severe enough to warrant the injection.
the patients mother expressed the family’s thanks to the court for reversing the previous judgements.

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SOURCE: bangkokpost.com