SAMUT PRAKAN: A grieving mother has called for justice for her 6-year-old daughter, who died after suffering an acute stomachache at school and was not sent to a hospital for treatment.
Nongyao Daenmuangthaen, 42, wept as she hugged the lifeless body of her daughter Namphet Udomkin, lying in a hospital bed in a student uniform at Bang Phli Hospital, Samut Prakan, on Monday night. Her husband and relatives stood alongside the bed in sorrow.
Ms Nongyao said she worked as a caddy at a golf course in Bang Phli district. She sent her daughter “Nong Namphet’’ to school as normal on morning. The child was cheerful and showed no sign of illness. She later went to work, also as usual.
Late that afternoon she checked messages on her Line chat group and found a message asking her to urgently go to see her daughter, who was suffering acute stomachache, at tambon Bang Chalong healthcare station, near her school. She immediately phoned her boss saying she was taking leave and rushed to the healthcare station by taxi.
A photo of Namphet Udomkin, 6, on her mother's mobile phone. (Photo by Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)
She went into shock when she saw the condition her daughter was in. She looked very weak and her skin had an unhealthy yellow tinge.
Three healthcare staffers stood near the girl’s bed. Her daughter saw her and said, “Mum, help me please. My stomach hurts so much,’’ Ms Nongyao said.
"I immediately asked the officials why they had not sent her to a nearby hospital, but they blamed me, saying they had been waiting for parental approval to move her."
Nongyao said she hugged her daughter and rushed to get her to the hospital, but could not find a taxi.
A woman she did not know saw her distress and drove them to the main road, where they found a taxi. Her daughter was unconscious when they arrived at Bang Phli Hospital, and then she convulsed. Nurses immediately took the girl to an emergency room, where a doctor examined the child and said she had died, the grieving mother said.
She had since asked the class teacher what happened and was told her daughter developed an acute stomachache and collapsed to the floor. The teacher immediately took her to the nearby healthcare station, arriving about 12.30pm on Monday. Medical staff there gave the girl first aid, but her condition did not improve.
Another child's parent had offered to take the girl to a nearby hospital, but permission was refused. Officials said actual parental permission was required before she could be moved to a hospital.
Her daughter had lain in pain at the health station from about 12.30pm to 4.30pm, Ms Nongyao said.
She questioned why the healthcare station did not transfer her daughter to a hospital when her condition worsened.
The mother said she wanted justice. She wanted the healthcare station officials to be held responsible for their refusal to transfer a very sick girl to the nearby hospital.
Ms Monyao reported the death of daughter to Bang Phli police, who said they would call the class teacher and the three healthcare staff in for questioning.
Nong Namphet’s body was taken to Ramabhibodi Samut Prakan Hospital for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of the death.
Nongyao Daenmuangthaen, 42, looks sadly upon her dead 6-year-old daughter, Nong Namphet, at Bang Phli Hospital in Samut Prakan on Monday night. (Photo by Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)