When a powerful 8.2-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday (Mar 28), the tremors were so strong they reached Thailand, prompting immediate evacuations across the country, including at Bangkok’s Police General Hospital.
But in the middle of that chaos, one medical team refused to abandon their mission.
A Facebook user named “Tony Lim” shared a photo of medical staff from the hospital performing outdoor surgery right after the quake.
The image quickly made rounds online, with netizens flooding the comments with praise, calling them “real-life heroes” for prioritising the patient’s life over their own safety.
From OR to open air
According to The Nation, the surgeon in the photo, Dr. “Toey” — full name Pol Lt Col Waranyu Jiramrit — later revealed that the patient was undergoing a colostomy procedure when the quake hit.
Just as the team was about to close up the abdominal incision, the hospital had to be evacuated for safety reasons.
Instead of panicking, Dr. Toey and his team sprang into action. They moved the patient to a safer area outside the operating theatre and decided to finish the operation right there on the spot.
The patient urgently needed the abdominal incision to be closed. If left open, there was a risk of bowel displacement or exposure to outside air, which could lead to serious complications,” he explained.
10-minute life-saving move
Despite being outdoors, the team managed to complete the surgery in just 10 minutes. And no, they didn’t compromise on hygiene either — they followed strict sterilisation protocols, used sterile gloves, and operated with field-style equipment.
Thanks to their swift action, the patient is now stable and recovering in the hospital ward.
Dr. Toey added that he had no idea the moment would be captured and shared online.
I had just finished treating the patient and writing the medical report for the hospital. I was simply doing my duty to save the patient’s life to the best of my ability,” he said humbly.
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