Family suspicious of sudden death of hospitalised prisoner

Family suspicious of sudden death of hospitalised prisoner

Prisoner Arsu Woh-ngoi in the critical care unit at Narathiwat Hospital, where he was being treated for TB. He was pronounced dead only a short time after his family was informed his condition was stable last Thursday. (Photo supplied)
Prisoner Arsu Woh-ngoi in the critical care unit at Narathiwat Hospital, where he was being treated for TB. He was pronounced dead only a short time after his family was informed his condition was stable last Thursday. (Photo supplied)

NARATHIWAT: Relatives are seeking an investigation into the "suspicious death" of a young man at Narathiwat Hospital who was serving a jail sentence in a southern security case.

Rattika Sama, his wife, said on Tuesday that Arsu Woh-ngoi, 25, was pronounced dead at Narathiwat Hospital at 8.20pm on Dec 6, but only only 20 minutes earlier relatives who visited him at the critical care unit had been informed by a nurse that his condition was stable.

When they returned to the hospital, a nurse told the family she had no idea why a respirator tube had dropped from the man's face, Ms Rattika said.

She said her husband had caught tuberculosis while in prison, coughed up blood and been belatedly transferred to the hospital for treatment.

On Aug 9 the Criminal Court of Narathiwat sentenced Arsu to two years in jail for involvement in an attack on police in front of Rangae station in March last year. Two policemen were shot dead. 

Ms Rattika said he was in the process of appealing against the sentence. 

Arueman Woh-ngoi, the dead man's elder brother and a member of Juab tambon administration organisation, confirmed Arsu had developed tuberculosis while at Narathiwat prison and coughed up blood, but had not been sent to the hospital right away.

The family has asked that authorities investigate the matter and ensure justice.

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