Medical Council upholds penalties for doctors over Thaksin hospital stay

The Medical Council of Thailand decided, by a two-thirds vote of the 68 members attending its meeting, to uphold its May 8 resolution to discipline three doctors responsible for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s questionable six-month stay at the Police General Hospital.

Before the crucial vote today, the council gave Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin, who had vetoed the council’s resolution, 15 minutes to address members on his reasons for rejecting the resolution.

Of the 70 council members, 68 attended the meeting. One was absent and did not assign a proxy to vote on his behalf.

Another, Pol Lt-Gen Thaweesilp Wechvitarn, chief doctor of the PGH, was not eligible to attend because he was one of the three doctors disciplined by the council.

Professor Dr Prasit Watanapa, the first vice president of the council, told the media at the end of the three-hour meeting that more than two-thirds of the 68 council members present voted to uphold the May 8 resolution, under which Pol Lt Gen Sophonrat Singhacharu, former chief doctor of the PGH, and Pol Lt Gen Thaweeslip Wechvitarn, the incumbent chief doctor, were suspended from performing medical practice for three and six months respectively.

The third doctor, Dr. Ruamthip Suphanan of the Corrections Department, was given a warning.

Dr. Prasit said the council will now issue an order to enforce the May 8 resolution and the three disciplined doctors will be notified accordingly.

He disclosed that all council members had received details of Somsak’s veto about two weeks ago and maintained that the voting was transparent and all had exercised their discretion based on the facts.

Regarding the leaked comment critical of Thaksin from a Line group, he said that the group was not the official Line group of the council.

During his 15-minute address, Somsak pointed out that the council’s resolution to suspend the licenses of the two PGH doctors was much harsher than the penalties recommended by the fact-finding panel, led by Professor Amorn Leelarasamee.

The panel had recommended probation for Dr. Sophonrat and found Dr. Thaweesilp not guilty of ethical misconduct. It also recommended that a warning be served on Dr. Ruamthip.

He noted that there was no new evidence to justify the council’s imposition of more severe penalties and claimed that an increasing number of people have started to believe that the council’s decision was intended to send a message to former prime minister Thaksin.

Dr. Prasit also thanked doctors from various institutions and generations today, along with the 50,000 Thai citizens who signed petitions in support of the council.

“Their main message is for the Medical Council to uphold righteousness, stand firm and to preserve professional ethics,” he said.

In his view, this is not pressure, but encouragement and a commendable act and, today, the members of the Medical Council have done just that.

Some groups had, however, tried to use certain mechanisms to prevent the Medical Council from doing what is right and in accordance with professional ethics, said Dr. Prasit, adding that such actions could be considered pressure or intimidation.

Meanwhile after leaving the meeting, Somsak told the media that his brief presence was not intended to intimidate council members, but to warn them that they might be sued for their vote today by a “third party” and that would incur legal expenses to be borne by taxpayers.

Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin leaves after briefing the Medical Council on his veto decision.

He also referred to a recent opinion survey, conducted by NIDA Poll, which allegedly shows 54% percent of the respondents trust and have confidence in the council, which he claimed was quite low, adding that the council’s decision today may discourage new doctors and affect the medical community as a whole.