Somsak gets only 15 minutes to address Medical Council today

Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin will be given only 15 minutes, from noon, to address members of the Medical Council of Thailand at its meeting today.

The chairperson of the council, Dr. Somsri Paosawat, sent a letter to Somsak, in his capacity as special chair of the council, informing him that only he will be allowed into the meeting, which is a closed-door session.

Also, since there are many issues on the council’s agenda today, the council decided to allocate 15 minutes for him to address the meeting.

The key purpose of the council today meeting is to allow its members to vote on whether to affirm the council’s May 8 resolution, to discipline three doctors responsible for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s questionable stay at the Police General Hospital for six months without spending a day of his nine-year jail term in prison.

His sentence was subsequently reduced to one year by a Royal commutation. Their resolution was vetoed by Somsak.

In his letter to the council, Somsak asked to attend the council meeting today, with some of his aides, to explain the reason for his veto and to express his views regarding the disciplinary action against the two Police Hospital's doctors, Pol Lt Gen Sophonrat Singhacharu, former chief doctor and current assistant police commissioner-general, and Pol Lt Gen Thaweesilp Wechvitarn, the incumbent PGH chief doctor.

An army of reporters and photographers are expected to converge on the MCT building, in the compound of the Public Health Ministry. They will not, however, be allowed to attend the closed-door meeting, but a press conference is scheduled at 3pm in the afternoon.