A 31-year-old IT technician lost her job after she was left partially blinded due to an alleged misdiagnosis by a privately run hospital in Bangkok.
The woman, Sasinan (surname withheld), sought help on the Sai Mai Tong Rot relief and emergency Facebook page.
A post said that she developed a red eye and sore throat on June 18. The next day, she bought over-the-counter medication to take, but it did not help, it said.
On June 20, she went to a privately run hospital in the Phahon Yothin area to seek treatment, it said. A doctor there told her she had tonsillitis and gave her an antihistamine injection before telling her to go home, it said.
Back at home, she felt chest pain and had a rash all over her body, it said, adding she also suffered from blurred vision and swollen lips. She then called the same hospital to arrange an appointment to see a specialist on June 21. The doctor informed her she had chickenpox and administered an antihistamine shot before admitting her to the hospital, the post said.
Soon after the injection, her condition worsened, and more rashes developed, it said. She was completely blind in her left eye and half-blind in her right eye, the post added. On June 22, she was rushed to the hospital's intensive care unit and was injected with more antihistamine, causing her to feel dazed and numb, it said, adding she spent seven days in the ICU and was not getting better.
The hospital in question then referred her to another, where a different doctor diagnosed her with advanced Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a rare skin disease that could be caused by an allergic reaction to medication or an illness.
She stayed in the ICU of the second hospital for 45 days, by the end of which the rashes had improved, but her vision had not, the post said. She was then taken back to the first hospital, where she spent another month in treatment. She was eventually discharged for continued treatment at home, according to the Facebook post. However, her vision has not been restored, and she still has blisters on her face and other parts of her body.
The hospital would carry on with her treatment, but Ms Sasinan said she is now in dire straits from being visually impaired, it said. She lost her job, and her plan to start an online start-up is in ruins. Blaming a misdiagnosis by a doctor at the first hospital, the post said she is looking to sue for damages.