Medical institution acknowledges blood type mix-up in treatment of concrete accident victim
Friday's Tragedy and a Hospital's Mistake
Let's talk about a not-so-sunny event that transpired in Samut Sakhon province, Thailand, on a Tuesday morning. A pickup truck driver, Amnat Thongkham, met a harsh reality when heavy concrete chunks tumbled from the Mahachai-Krathumbaen flyover on Rama II Road. Despite tireless medical attempts, this 46-year-old man took his final breath on Tuesday night due to a ruptured liver and copious abdominal bleeding.
As the news spread, whispers about a possible blunder at the hospital began circulating. Hospital staff, in their attempt to save Amnat, administered him the wrong blood type – a conundrum when one considers he had blood type B, but was given blood type A instead.
An investigation, led by the Ministry of Public Health, has since been initiated. Dr. Thanakrit Jitareerat, an assistant to the Public Health Minister, confirmed that the hospital admitted to their mistake. Amnat had arrived in critical condition, having already lost a considerable amount of blood. Standard protocol dictates that Type O blood, compatible with all blood types, should have been used. Yet, due to a deficiency of Type O blood, staff turned to using Type B, resulting in an unfortunate lab error that identified it as type A.
Initially, the focus remains on understanding the reasoning behind the falling concrete incident. Once the facts are clear, discussions will unfold concerning the hospital's mishandling of Amnat's treatment and the blood type error.
Following the concrete incident, Amnat was moved from Mahachai Hospital to Vibharam Samut Sakhon Hospital and later to the better-equipped Samut Sakhon Hospital. The development of the delayed intercity expressway has been fraught with accidents, with pieces of the structure often plummeting onto passing vehicles, causing harm and, at times, fatality.
Recently, on April 4, a pickup truck driver was wounded by a fallen crane, exemplifying the longstanding safety concerns surrounding this ongoing construction project.
- The investigation by the Ministry of Public Health confirmed that the hospital made a mistake in administering the wrong blood type to Amnat Thongkham, who died due to a ruptured liver and excessive abdominal bleeding.
- As Type O blood is compatible with all blood types, it should have been used for Amnat, who arrived at the hospital in critical condition having lost a substantial amount of blood.
- The error occurred due to a deficiency of Type O blood, leading hospital staff to use Type B blood in an unfortunate lab incident that identified it as Type A.
- The hospital's treatment of Amnat and the blood type error will be a topic of discussion following the investigation into the falling concrete incident on Rama II Road.
- The delay in the construction of the intercity expressway has been marred by numerous accidents, with structures like the Mahachai-Krathumbaen flyover causing harm or fatality when concrete chunks fall onto passing vehicles, as seen in recent events such as the injury of a pickup truck driver by a fallen crane on April 4.
