The National Health Security Office (NHSO) has asked police in Chiang Rai province to take action against a clinic believed to have defrauded the universal healthcare system, including servicing at least one “ghost patient”.
Dr Attaporn Limpanyalert, the NHSO deputy secretary-general, filed the complaint at the Ban Du police station in Wieng Pa Pao district, accusing the clinic of cheating the agency of 1.8 million baht.
The name of the clinic has been withheld by the agency. The only detail it provided is that it joined the NHSO in October 2023.
The office decided to look into the clinic and make the move after it had received at least three complaints.
One case involved a patient unable to access the universal healthcare programme because the authentication system showed their name had appeared in the suspected clinic, although the patient was not registered there.
Complaints on the official Line account directed to the NHSO showed the number of patients using the same clinic was unusually high, partly because the clinic owner assigned patients visiting a hospital to use the services at the clinic, instead of the hospital.
The NHSO did not provide details on the name of the hospital, and whether the clinic owner is a doctor or nurse.
The NHSO also received information via the Wieng Pa Pao news Facebook page that the clinic had collected IDs from clients to reimburse money from the agency. People giving the clinic their IDs were given items like milk, shampoo and toothpaste, it added.
Dr Attaporn said its initial inquiries had found the complaints had grounds for the NHSO to take the case to the police.
“The NHSO will expand the investigations to other clinics in the system if it finds unusual reimbursements,” he added.
The NHSO operates the universal healthcare scheme, which is now open to clinics and other health centres to join. Clinics are primary health service providers for patients who are registered under the universal coverage programme.
“The NHSO will expand its investigations to other clinics in the system if it finds unusual reimbursements,” says Dr Attaporn Limpanyalert, deputy secretary-general of the National Health Security Office. (Photo: NHSO Facebook account)