Medical council denies minister’s bid for review members’ names

The Medical Council of Thailand has rejected Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin’s request for the names and meeting records of a screening subcommittee reviewing the actions of three doctors who treated former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra at the Police General Hospital.

Quoting a well-informed source in the council, the ISRA News Agency reports that Somsak, in his capacity as the special chairman of the Medical Council, wanted to know the names of the members of the subcommittee and have access to the minutes of its meetings, because the subcommittee has a different opinion to that of the investigatory subcommittee regarding the penalties to be imposed on the three doctors.

The majority of the investigatory panel had recommended that the three doctors should only be served with a warning, while the minority was in favour of suspending their medical licenses.

The screening panel, however, agreed to suspend the medical licenses of two doctors at the Police General Hospital, while a third doctor, at the Corrections Department’s hospital, was served with a warning.

ISRA reports that the Medical Council was reluctant to comply with Somsak’s request, because some members of the screening panel are outsiders, including retired senior judges.

Disclosing their names could compromise their independence when making decisions and there has never been a case of a

special chairman asking for such documentation from the council, said the agency.

The Medical Council has submitted a 95-page report to Somsak, reportedly containing full details on all aspects of the case under investigation, including reports from the panel on ethical conduct, the investigatory and the screening panels.

The three doctors found at fault by the Medical Council are Dr. Ruamthip Supanan, of the Corrections Department’s hospital, Pol Lt-Gen Sophonrat Singhacharu, former chief doctor at the PGH and currently the national assistant police chief, and Pol Lt-Gen Thaweesilp Wechvitarn, the incumbent chief doctor at the PGH.

Both Sophonrat and Thaweesilp are seeking fair treatment from Somsak.