Three doctors at Surin Hospital leading a campaign critical of the transfer of permanent secretary for public health Narong Sahametapat were summoned on Tuesday to meet the army.
Maj Gen Manas Nuwattana, the security chief in Surin, ordered doctors Prachumporn Booncharoen, Panthip Mulasatsathorn and Issara Ariyachaipanich to meet him at Weerawatyothin camp in Muang district two hours before hospital workers gathered at the facility in support of Dr Narong.
As the three were on duty, they could not go to the camp. So the officer went to meet them at the hospital, Manager Online reported. The meeting was for ''better understanding'', he said in a letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Bangkok Post.
- Hot topic: Health Ministry spat
Dr Prachumporn said a planned gathering at the hospital was cancelled, but she and other supporters of Dr Narong would continue to wear black to protest his transfer.
Surin Hospital has joined other facilities, including Pathum Thani, Pranangklao in Nonthaburi, Phrae, Nakhonping in Chiang Mai and Mae Sot in Tak, in putting up a banner backing the permanent secretary.
Dr Narong was moved to an inactive post at the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday after continued conflict with Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin over having the Public Health Ministry take over management of the universal coverage healthcare scheme from the National Health Security Office.