Seventy medical doctors, from Class 82 of Siriraj Hospital Medical School and Class 7 of Ramathibodi Hospital Medical School, issued a statement today in support of the Medical Council in upholding its resolution of May 8, concerning former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s controversial stay in a VIP room at the Police General Hospital (PGH) for six months, without spending a day in prison during his one-year prison sentence.
The doctors said that the Medical Council must prioritise the public interest and resist attempts by “unethical powers” to overturn its decision for those with vested interests.
On May 8, the Medical Council found one doctor at the Corrections Department’s hospital guilty of not performing her duty to the required standard and that two senior doctors at the PGH provided false information about the state of Thaksin’s health.
The council decided to suspend the medical licenses of the two PGH doctors and issue a warning to the third doctor. The ruling is now being considered by the special chair of the council, Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin.
At a talk on the illegal narcotics problem, given at the Office of the Narcotics Control board on Tuesday, Thaksin slammed the Medical Council, questioning its professional ethics over a “leaked” comment by a council member in a Line group, allegedly scolding Thaksin.
Somsak has 15 days, from receipt of the council’s report and ruling, to respond as to whether to accept or veto the ruling.
In case of a veto, the council needs two-thirds of its 70 members to override the veto and uphold its decision to discipline the three doctors.
