As the probe into Thaksin Shinawatra's questionable illnesses and treatment on the 14th floor of the Police General Hospital deepens, with several state officials already in hot water, so too do reports of a sick prisoner in jail on charges relating to a Section 112 violation being rejected hospital admission. What irony!
Shane Cheworbancha, an independent activist and creator of the "Khunpaen Saensatan" Facebook page was sentenced to three years and six months in jail in mid-July for offending the monarchy while campaigning for the release of two Section 112 prisoners, including the late activist Netiporn "Bung" Saneysangkhom.
However, the Appeal Court rejected his bail, and he has now been behind bars for nearly four months.
On Nov 1, the activist complained of partial paralysis, being unable to move the left side of his body, and experiencing difficulty in swallowing food and drink since Nov 1.
The Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said the activist's health has not improved. Despite what was deemed to be a serious illness, doctors at the prison's hospital examined him but did not move him to a ward. The activist is to have a brain scan on Nov 13.
One cannot help but compare the treatment afforded this convict by the Department of Corrections with that received by Thaksin.
While Shane -- as well as other inmates with severe health conditions, waited in line, Thaksin was almost immediately transferred to the Police General Hospital after handing himself into their care in August. And there he stayed for months.
When he was finally discharged, Thaksin, who received parole early this year, conducted himself like any other healthy inmate of an advanced age.
As the Department of Corrections sternly continues to refuse requests for access to all prisoners' personal health records, suspicions have only grown as to whether Thaksin's illness genuinely warranted such prolonged hospital care.
Needless to say, Shane is not the first prisoner to experience such double standards. Netiporn -- who was jailed on Jan 26 -- died of a heart attack in a prison hospital in May.
Some health experts believe that doctors at the prison hospital may have underestimated the severity of her condition. Again, the Justice Ministry, the Corrections Department and the prison hospital owe the public an explanation for the tragedy.
Apart from Netiporn, there are still many people who remember further back to the case of Ampol Tangnoppakul, or Ah Gong, a 64-year-old inmate who died in 2011 while serving time for committing a lese majeste offence.
Ah Gong, who was suffering from liver cancer, underwent medical treatment at the prison's facility instead of being sent to an outside hospital where he might have received better care.
Such dubious treatment is not contained to inmates related to political and national security issues, with a glaring example being how alleged serial killer Sararat "Aem Cyanide" Rangsiwuthaporn was only given a few days to recover at the Police General Hospital after she suffered a miscarriage due to preeclampsia.
It's not too late. Those concerned, ie, the Corrections Department and the prison, are obliged to avoid the mistakes they committed regarding Netiporn and Ampol.
There are simply no excuses for not providing activist Shane with the medical treatment he deserves.
