In early November, the woman experienced severe hip pain, rendering her unable to stand upright, and suffered from whole-body edema, leading to her dismissal. Locals near the border assisted her return to Vietnam, where she was admitted to a hospital in An Giang. Doctors subsequently transferred her to Binh Dan Hospital in TP HCM. Upon arrival, she was in a life-threatening condition, suffering from septic shock caused by kidney stones, right ureteral stones, bladder stones, and kidney failure. Doctors transfused three units of blood and performed surgery to drain pus and remove a significant number of kidney, ureteral, and bladder stones, described as 'a handful,' with some as large as a chicken egg.
As of 21/11, she is receiving treatment at Binh Dan Hospital. While she is conscious and her fever has subsided, her kidneys remain severely damaged, with a prognosis of long-term treatment.
The woman revealed that she lost her mother at a young age and grew up in the Vietnam-Cambodia border region, having never attended school and lacking identification documents. In 9/2024, seeking to earn money to support her young child, she followed a friend to Cambodia 'to work on computers.' Instead, she was taken to a compound where her job was to create fake accounts, connect with, and initially lure 'targets' into interaction. Other members would then carry out the scam requests. She was not allowed to leave her workstation unless she found a 'client' and was even forbidden from using the restroom.
Doctors believe that prolonged urine retention and inadequate nutrition, likely endured during her time at the compound, contributed to the formation of numerous stones in her urinary organs.
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The woman is cared for by her sister at Binh Dan Hospital. Photo: Nhung Tran |
The woman is cared for by her sister at Binh Dan Hospital. Photo: Nhung Tran
A representative from Binh Dan Hospital stated that the biggest challenge is the patient's lack of identification documents and health insurance, which significantly hinders access to official support resources.
The hospital is appealing to support funds to give the woman a chance to restart her life; however, the long-term treatment costs represent a significant financial burden.
Le Phuong
