A private hospital in Samut Prakan has been fined 100,000 baht by the Emergency Medicine Committee (EMC) for refusing to treat a critically injured patient, who later died after being rushed to another hospital.

The patient was a police officer who had been struck by a vehicle while he was performing his duty at a location not far from the private hospital, the name of which was withheld by the committee.

After having heard witness accounts and seen material evidence, the EMC concluded that the patient was a critical emergency case and, therefore, the hospital could not refuse to treat the patient and must provide emergency treatment to its fullest capability.

It was discovered that the hospital had twice rejected requests from an EMT unit, seeking to have the patient taken to the hospital, forcing them to find an alternative, where he was pronounced dead.

According to the EMC, this was also the second time that the hospital in question had refused to provide critical emergency treatment. In the other case, the patient was a Taiwanese tourist, who was hit by a car while crossing a road. He also later died from his injuries after being taken to another hospital.