The Medical Council decided today to suspend the professional licenses of two doctors for providing false medical information about the severity of the medical condition of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, to justify his stay in the Police General Hospital, from mid-August 2023 until February 2024.
Thaksin did not spend a day behind bars while serving his prison sentence for corruption.
The council also decided to issue a warning to a third doctor for not meeting professional standards, after he issued a certificate for the transfer of Thaksin from the Corrections Department’s hospital to the Police General Hospital.
The identities of the three doctors have been withheld.
The ruling was adopted by the Medical Council’s board at a meeting today, called to consider the findings of its subcommittee, led by Dr Amorn Leelarasamee, charged with investigating the ethical conduct of the medical personnel involved in the treatment of Thaksin, following widespread suspicion that he was not suffering from life-threatening illnesses as claimed.
The Medical Council was supposed to consider the sub-committee’s findings at its meeting on April 10, but this was postponed until today after the sub-committee received additional information from the two hospitals.
Professor Prasit Watanapa MD, the first vice chairman of the board of the Medical Council, said that the board’s ruling will have to be submitted to the special chairman, Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin, for consideration.
He explained that, if Somsak agrees with the board’s decision, it will be final.
If the minister vetoes the board’s decision, though, it will be returned to the board for reconsideration. If the board then upholds the decision by a two-thirds vote, the decision will be final and enforceable.
Dr. Prasit said that, among all the evidence presented to the board by the subcommittee, there was not a single piece of “clear empirical evidence” suggesting that there was a critical situation that justified Thaksin being treated at the Police General Hospital for six months.
Meanwhile, it is reported that Thaksin went to the Criminal Court today, to seek permission to leave the country, but for what reason is unknown.
Also seen at the court were Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa and former deputy prime minister Wissanu Krea-ngam. It is not yet known whether permission was granted by the court.
