People’s Party MP for Bangkok Tanadej Pengsuk's accusation of systematic drug theft at the War Veterans Hospital, in which both current and former medical personnel are implicated, has now caught the interest of the public and the authorities.
Police have stepped in, at the hospital’s request, joining the Comptroller General’s Department in the investigation.
According to Tanadej, the network of perpetrators exploited the free medical benefits, to which civil servants are entitled for life.
They can walk into any public hospital and receive free diagnosis, medical treatment and medication on prescription.
Their spouses and parents are also entitled to these benefits.
Doctors routinely prescribe the full amount of medication permissible to these officials, with the costs reimbursed by the taxpayer, via the Comptroller General’s Department.
The MP said that initially, the scheme, allegedly run by senior current and retired doctors at the hospital, had a group of officials from Lop Buri province take medical check-ups at the War Veterans Hospital in Bangkok. They were lured by the offer of free transportation and a Bt1,000 bonus on visit.
Tanadej also revealed a series of chat messages between the ringleaders and an official who agreed to participate in the scheme.
One of the doctors advised the official to eat oily and greasy food and to avoid sleep, as this would affect their blood test results.
“Please eat rice, bread, butter and stewed leg of pork on rice. Start eating them, but especially in the morning of the day you go to the hospital for a blood test,” one message read.
Poor blood test results would lead the doctor to prescribe a large quantity of medication.
Participants were also instructed to ask doctors to switch their statins from Pravastatin 40 to other brands, claiming that Pravastatin caused muscle pain and had other side effects.
Tanadej says that he has evidence, including bank transfer slips, showing that each patient was paid Bt1,000 upon handing the prescribed medication to the ringleaders.
The doctors involved then resold the medication for personal profit.
The MP did not say how much money the ring has made from the scam, but he believes it has been running for years.
