Nguyen Thi Mua is confined to her sick bed at home

A woman has sued a hospital in the central province of Phu Yen for VND156 million (US$8,700) in compensation after she underwent five surgeries within three weeks last year due to mistakes made by the hospital.

On January 18, 2008, Mua had an operation at the Song Cau District Hospital to give birth to her third baby. While her daughter was healthy, Mua discharged a lot of blood.

The woman underwent the second surgery that night before being transferred to Phu Yen Province General Hospital to have the third one two days later.

As Mua’s health was still bad, she was admitted to Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for two more operations on February 5 and 14.

Phu Yen’s Health Department said in April last year Song Cau doctors had made a mistake while delivering the baby as they had sutured the ureter .

After Mua recovered, her husband Nguyen Van Duoc petitioned the department, asking for a compensation of VND136 million.

But the department refused, saying that the woman was free of all operation costs thanks to her health insurance card.

The department also added they had “done their best to deal with unlucky results”.

After the incident, the Song Cau District Hospital, Phu Yen Province General Hospital and the department gave Mua’s family a total of VND75 million in support.

But Duoc said apart from treatment costs, his family spent a lot of money, including on cooking and travel, while the couple was not able to work for a long time.

Duoc is a seaman while Mua hires out her labor for various works at a fishing wharf in the province.

Reported by Duc Huy