A six-year-old boy had to be rescued by the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) after a nail attached to a one-metre-long wooden plank became lodged in his right hand, making it impossible for doctors to treat him immediately at Hospital Sultan Ismail Petra (HSIP) in Kuala Krai.
The incident is believed to have occurred while the child was playing at a farm house. During the play session, a nail fixed to a wooden ladder plank pierced the palm of his right hand, leaving the plank still attached.
Kuala Krai Fire and Rescue Station chief Assistant Fire Superintendent Nik Ahmad Afsham Nik Pa said the station received a request for assistance from the hospital at 12.27pm on Sunday after medical personnel found the long piece of wood was obstructing treatment.
According to him, doctors sought the firefighters’ help because the plank was too large to handle safely inside the emergency unit.
“Initial investigations found that the nail on the wooden ladder plank had penetrated the child’s right palm. It is believed the plank became detached while he was playing before the nail pierced his hand,” he said when contacted on Monday.
A team of seven firefighters, supported by a Scania Fire Rescue Tender (FRT) and an Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) vehicle, was dispatched to the hospital’s emergency department.
Firefighters carefully used a hand saw to cut away the wooden plank without causing further injury to the child. The operation was completed smoothly within 10 to 15 minutes before the boy was handed back to doctors for further medical treatment.
The incident highlights how seemingly harmless play can quickly turn dangerous, with emergency responders stressing the importance of keeping children away from hazardous construction materials and damaged wooden structures.
