A Chinese businessman has filed a police report after the body of his deceased newborn son reportedly disappeared from a hospital morgue in Chiang Mai, sparking a police investigation and raising serious questions about hospital procedures.
The father, identified as Fang Peng Cherng, lodged the complaint with authorities at Bhubing Rajanivej Police Station on March 12. He was accompanied by Thai lawyer Atipong Phonlachai, who spoke to the media about the troubling situation.
According to the lawyer, Fang’s son had been born prematurely in November at Bangkok Chiang Mai Hospital, about one month before the expected due date. Due to complications that required specialised treatment, doctors decided to transfer the infant to another facility for further care.
Premature Baby Transferred For Treatment Before Passing Away
The newborn was moved to Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital on November 8, where medical staff attempted to treat his condition. However, the baby tragically died only a few hours after arriving at the hospital.
Seeking clarity about what happened, Fang later requested that an autopsy be performed to determine the exact cause of death. Reports indicated that the results did not fully align with the medical issue initially suspected by doctors, prompting the father to question the care his son had received.
Believing that there may have been negligence involved, Fang began preparing legal action against the medical professionals responsible for his child’s treatment. He also planned to have a second autopsy conducted to obtain a more detailed explanation.
While arranging the process, the baby’s body remained stored in the hospital morgue.
Hospital Unable To Locate Body Months Later
Fang eventually secured approval for another examination at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, with the procedure scheduled for March 11. However, when he returned to retrieve his son’s remains from the morgue, hospital staff reportedly could not find the body.
Despite waiting for several hours while employees searched the facility, the remains were still missing. Staff members were reportedly unable to provide a clear explanation for the disappearance.
Following the discovery, Fang filed a police report to initiate an official investigation.
In response to the incident, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital released a statement acknowledging that the baby’s body could not be located. The hospital confirmed that an autopsy had been conducted on November 11, which concluded that the cause of death was acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Medical staff said the remains had been kept in the hospital morgue while awaiting further instructions from the family. However, when the father contacted the hospital to collect the body months later, it was no longer there.
Hospital officials said the disappearance may have resulted from an error in how the body was handled and stated that an internal investigation has been launched.
Police from Bhubing Rajanivej Police Station confirmed they will work with the hospital to determine what happened. Officers plan to question staff responsible for handling and storing bodies in the morgue as part of the ongoing investigation.