The Department of Corrections (DoC) on Sunday denied reports it would seek a court order to revoke a Medical Council of Thailand (MCT) decision to discipline three doctors in connection with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s controversial hospital stay.
The DoC said the department had only learned about the MCT’s ruling through media reports and it would still have to be approved by the public health minister.
It said the department wanted to clarify that it had taken no action of its own, as media reports could create misunderstanding among the public.
The department also stressed that medical professionals under the DoC are all bound to adhere to MCT regulations as well as professional ethics.
Last Thursday, Prof Dr Prasit Watanapa, vice president of the MCT, said the council decided to take disciplinary action against three doctors in connection with Thaksin’s controversial, prolonged stay at Police General Hospital (PGH).
One doctor was given a formal warning, while the other two had their medical licences suspended for providing inaccurate medical information and documents.
The decision would be forwarded to Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin, who serves as the president of the MCT’s special committee, for further consideration and final approval, Prof Dr Prasit said.
The MCT’s action came hot on the heels of the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Position’s inquiry into allegations that Thaksin’s prison sentence may not have been adequately enforced.
The former premier’s six-month stay at the PGH for unspecified health issues until he was granted parole in February last year prompted public suspicions of special treatment.
The court has set a June 13 date for the next hearing.
