Cross dose victim to get state assistance

PHANGNGA: The government is expediting assistance for a Phangnga Community College student whose leg had to be amputated due to a blood clot that some suspected was a side-effect of mixing Covid-19 vaccines.

Ketsinee Kongkaew had to have her left leg amputated above the knee due to complications from thrombosis which appeared after she received an AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine as her second shot, said Jamras Khanadpol, director of the Phangnga Community College.

Ms Ketsinee’s grandmother, Halia Kongkaew, said the 20-yearold student felt unwell after getting her second Covid shot at a vaccination centre in Muang district on Aug 13.

Her classmate, Anupong Thamrong, said Ms Ketsinee started complaining of a fever and chest pains around three days after.

Ms Ketsinee then went to see a doctor at Phangnga Hospital, who diagnosed her with a bladder infection and had her come up for a follow-up a week later.

However, she was rushed back to the hospital after she began experiencing severe pain in her left leg. She was then referred to Surat Thani Hospital, where an X-ray revealed a blood clot which required urgent surgery.

However, doctors found necrotic tissue around the clot, which prompted them to transfer her to Krabi Hospital for the surgery.

As her condition continued to worsen, the hospital’s medical team decided to transfer her to the better-equipped Songklanagarind Hospital in Hat Yai, where doctors decided to amputate her leg, Mr Anupong said.

The girl’s relatives believed the thrombosis was likely caused by mixing different vaccines, as Ms Ketsinee suffers no underlying illnesses, but is known to have received a Sinovac first shot.

Jirawat Boonrak, head of health insurance at Phangnga’s health office, said the National Health Security Office will absorb the entire cost of Ms Ketsinee’s treatment.

In the meantime, other state agencies will extend the necessary assistance to the girl’s family, including psychological counselling for Ms Ketsinee and Ms Halia, who is now suffering from depression.

Natrada Thammarak, Ms Ketsinee’s adviser at the college, said the girl was slowly recovering.

Meanwhile, Mr Jamras said the college and Ms Ketsinee’s friends have donated money to help.

The money was used to buy a phone so Ms Ketsinee could call her family in Phangnga. The college will also tap into its funds to buy prosthetic leg for Ms Ketsinee, Mr Jamras said.