A 36-year-old woman from Thailand's Narathiwat province has lived with severe pain for nearly two decades after she inadvertently retained a needle inside her body during childbirth. She sought help recently from the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women, which supports victims of abuse. The organization spoke of a tragic ordeal that has gone unnoticed for years. 

The woman explained her experience to the foundation, stating that the mistake happened eighteen years back after the birth of her baby. A nurse was dressing her stitches when one loose needle went into her. The doctor tried to pull out but could not. The doctor feared she might bleed from her inner parts and decided to continue with the procedure, leaving it inside her. 

“The nurse accidentally dropped the needle while stitching me up after childbirth. A doctor tried to retrieve it with his fingers, but could not get it,” she recalled, as quoted by the Pavena Foundation and reported by The Independent.

Over the years, she had endured intermittent but intense lower abdominal pain without knowing the cause. Only last year, through an X-ray, did she find out that it was a foreign object that caused it. Despite a recommended surgery, the operation has been postponed more than once because the needle inside her moves, which complicates the operation.

With the needle still lodged in her, the woman now attends four hospital check-ups each month. Though her medical insurance has covered some of the treatment, transportation and other incidental costs have been a sore drain financially, leading her to seek the Pavena Foundation's help. “Her family is poor, so she asked Paveena to help," the foundation said.

Pawina Hongsakul, who works with the foundation, was to assist in organizing further support, directing her to arrange transportation, and getting her an appointment at a public hospital. The local Department of Social Development and Human Security also aided her in making the visits less painful. Today, it is not clear if the needle will be ever removed, and if the hospital will take legal action or compensation.

This incident has ignited online rage, with people demanding justice concerning the alleged negligence by the hospital.  Commenters have called for accountability, with some urging the woman to pursue legal action after years of needless suffering. “She should sue the doctor to the fullest! They should compensate her for 18 years of suffering,” wrote one user. Another added, “Attention to detail is critical in every task. This negligent doctor should face consequences, and irresponsible doctors deserve to be punished!"

The hospital involved has yet to say a word about it so far; hence, many questions remain on the lack of supervision in this case, whether she was going to get justice or reparations for her ordeal.