Doctors in Bangkok perform surgery outdoors after evacuating due to earthquake, gain praise from netizens

Doctors in Bangkok move emergency surgery outdoors when earthquake strikes

In a scene straight out of a movie, doctors in Bangkok performed an emergency surgery outdoors after they had to evacuate from a hospital due to an earthquake on Friday (28 March).

A photo of the operation, which was circulated on social media, quickly gained the approval of Thai netizens, praising the team for prioritising the patient’s safety.

Source: Facebook

Bangkok earthquake strikes in the middle of surgery, moved outdoors

The operation took place just outside the Police General Hospital in downtown Bangkok, reported The Nation Thailand.

Dr Waranyu Jiramrit, the surgeon who performed the surgery, said his team was performing a colostomy on a patient.

As his team was about to close the incision on the abdomen, the earthquake struck.

They immediately decided to move the patient to a safer location outside the operating room.

Source: Google Maps

Surgery completed in 10 minutes

The surgery was then completed in just 10 minutes.

Under the post, which received more than 12,000 likes and more than 500 shares, netizens praised the healthcare workers for their heroic efforts despite the harsh conditions.

They also expressed support for healthcare workers supporting quake relief efforts.

The doctor, who at first had no idea that the photo was shared on social media, said he was simply doing his duty as a doctor to save the patient’s life to the best of his ability.

Hospital across Bangkok evacuate patients

The team at Police General Hospital were not the only medical professionals in the Thai capital that had to handle difficult circumstances.

At Siriraj Hospital, nurses had to escort patients out of the hospital, filling the streets and parking lots with beds.

Source: Facebook

One Facebook post showed the Thai Army helping move both patients and equipment from Rajavithi Hospital to a safe location at a nearby school.

Search continues for workers trapped underneath rubble of collapsed building

Residents living inside Bangkok’s many skyscrapers experienced a scare when their residences shook violently.

But one building under construction in the Bang Sue area completely collapsed, in viral images circulated widely, as pedestrians screamed while fleeing the scene.

The authorities are still searching for people trapped under the rubble of the State Audit Office (SAO) building, The Nation reported.

Source: The Nation Thailand on Facebook

So far, they have been able to confirm at least five deaths — three men and two women.

According to the Bangkok Post, at least 81 people are trapped underneath the rubble of the SAO building.

Source: The Nation Thailand on Facebook

But a report said there were about 400 Thai and foreign workers at the construction site.

The Bangkok Fire and Rescue Department was quoted as saying said the construction site had collapsed due to an unstable structure.

The additional deaths raised the total death toll for the disaster to 10, with over 100 still missing across multiple construction sites throughout the city.

Cracks observed in buildings across the city

In addition to the collapsed buildings, citizens have reported 169 cases of cracks being observed in buildings across the city.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has attempted to assuage the concerns of citizens whose homes violently shook in the quake, saying:

Cracks in buildings might not necessarily affect the main structural elements that support weight; they could be in the walls, which may crack but do not pose a danger… Therefore, if you see cracks, do not immediately conclude that the building is unsafe — it may just be a minor issue unrelated to the main structure.

He also encouraged people to be cautious when returning to their homes, adding that they should first conduct a preliminary inspection to check for any severe cracks in beams or columns.

They could re-enter buildings if there was no significant damage, he explained.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has declared Bangkok a disaster area.

Also read: No reports of S’poreans injured by earthquake in Myanmar & Thailand, PM Wong sends condolences

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Featured image adapted from Facebook and Facebook.