VietNamNet Bridge – The father used a homemade gun to shoot birds. The gun went off by accident, 10 bullets were shot into the intestine of his 9-year-old son.

The child patient from the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong was admitted to the Children's Hospital 2 in HCM City on December 16, in the state of abdominal distention with 10 wounds to the stomach.

Doctors said that the boy suffered from peritonitis and bowel perforation caused by the bullets. The surgery lasted nearly 9 hours. Four lead bullets were removed from his body. The rest of the bullets in his intestine will be taken in the subsequent surgeries.

On December 17, after the injured intestine pieces were sutured, the patient continued to be in intensive care and preventive treatment to avoid infection.

The family said the homemade gun was used by the boy’s father to shoot birds. Bullets are bike balls. Each time the trigger is pulled, the homemade gun will shoot 10 balls. The accident occurred when the boy and his brother touched the gun when their parents were absent.

Doctors said that it was very luckily that the bullets did not hit vital organs such as the brain, eyes or heart.

About a month ago, HCM City’s Cho Ray Hospital saved a man who was hurt by a homemade gun. Only several of the more than 30 bullets in his body have been taken out. The rest are now in his lungs and other organs.

Currently this man’s health is stable. Doctors said the next operation would be performed after six months if the patient is healthy enough and has money, otherwise he can still live with the bullets.

Le Ha