Police probe 'mad doc' case
Suspicion centres on high ephedrine levels
Story by APINYA WIPATAYOTIN
Prakitpao Tomtitchong, owner of Applied Physics, a popular tutorial centre, plays a guitar at home in this file photo. His family have put him in a psychiatric hospital, but police suspect foul play and have asked a court to order his release.. |
Doctors and police have launched a joint investigation into the cause of mental illness afflicting a founder of the well-known tutorial institute Applied Physics, to find out if his ailment stems from a criminal conspiracy. Srithanya mental hospital director Kiattibhoom Vongrachit said yesterday that Prakitpao Tomtitchong had an unusually high level of the stimulant ephedrine in his body, which was likely to be the cause of his mental illness.
''We detected a large amount of ephedrine in his urine, 200 times higher than normal. We want to know how the stimulant got into the patient,'' Dr Kiattibhoom said.
Ephedrine, which is a controlled substance, has similar effects to amphetamine. It is an ingredient in medication often used by people with respiratory problems such as asthma.
People who ingest large amounts of stimulant can become aggressive and paranoid, Dr Kiattibhoom said.
People with unhealthy mental genes were more vulnerable and could quickly develop a mental illness after receiving only a small amount.
Dr Prakitpao needed urgent treatment or he might hurt himself and other people. He would probably recover within a month if he was not disturbed by external factors.
The case became the talk of the town after police investigator Thitidej Inpan of Bang Sue police station on Monday asked the Criminal Court to order the release of the respected 37-year-old.
Pol Lt-Col Thitidej said he received a complaint from Dr Prakitpao's close friend Premika Wirachatraksit, who said he was being illegally detained at Srithanya mental hospital.
Ms Premika believed that Dr Prakitpao was not mentally ill, as claimed by his family, and there was something fishy about his detention at the psychiatric hospital, Pol Lt-Col Thitidej said.
Dr Prakitpao's family opposed the police request insisting that he was seriously ill and needed urgent psychiatric treatment.
''Doctors have already confirmed that my brother is mentally ill. Some outsiders might have made up a story for their own benefit,'' said Dr Prakitpunthu Tomtitchong.
He took his brother to the hospital on February 19 because he had strong symptoms of mental disorder, including paranoia.
Members of the family, including his wife, feared he may hurt himself and other people as he always carried three pistols and wore a bullet-proof vest.
The family had been aware of his mental state for some time, but it had been in a minor stage so he could work, talk and communicate like a normal person.
However, his condition had deteriorated since October when he returned from meditating with his close friend, who was a former student at the Applied Physics Institute, said Dr Prakitpunthu.
Dr Prakitpao's mother, Assoc Prof Ploenchit, objected to the police investigator's request for a court order and petitioned acting national police chief Seripisuth Temiyavej to look into the case.
''We had no option but to take him to hospital for medical treatment,'' she said. ''No parents like having their child detained like this, but we had no choice.''
Dr Prakitpao is isolated from other patients at Srithanya hospital and under close observation by staff and police.
The Criminal Court has summoned the Srithanya hospital director and Dr Prakitpao for questioning on Friday.
launched
begun
joint
working together
afflicting
affecting in a harmful or unpleasant way
ailment
an illness
stimulant
a drug or substance that makes you more awake or feel like you have more energy
urine
waste liquid produced by the body
ingredient
one of the things that is used to make something
respiratory
connected with breathing
asthma
a medical condition of the chest which makes it difficult to breathe
ingest
to take in food, medicine, a drug, etc.
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aggressive
angry and behaving in a threatening way; ready to attack
paranoid
afraid or suspicious of other people and believing they are going to harm you (the medical condition is known as paranoia)
vulnerable
weak and easily hurt
urgent
that which needs to be dealt with immediately
external
outside
detained
kept in a place and not allowed to leave (the noun form is detention)
fishy
making you suspicious because it seems dishonest
opposed
against
symptoms
changes in your body or mind that show that you are not healthy
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pistols
a small handgun
bullet-proof vest
a special piece of clothing that covers the upper part of the body which prevents bullets from getting through
deteriorated
became worse
meditating
thinking deeply, usually in silence, to calm the mind, often for religious purposes
objected
voiced disapproval or disagreement
petitioned
formally asked to do something, often in writing
option
choice
isolated
keep apart from; keep separate from
summoned
ordered to come
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