Medical Council disciplines 3 doctors over Thaksin's hospital stay

According to Prof Dr Prasit Watanapa, the Council’s first vice president, one doctor received a formal warning, while the other two had their medical licences suspended due to a lack of conclusive evidence that the former Prime Minister was in a critical condition.

The Medical Council consists of 72 members, equally divided between two groups. Thirty-six are ex officio members, including the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, the Director-General of the Department of Medical Services, the Director-General of the Department of Health, the Chiefs of Medical Departments in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Police, and the Deans of Medical Faculties from universities across the country. The other 36 are elected members of the Medical Council.

During the upcoming Medical Council meeting , once the relevant agenda item is reached, the subcommittee—led by Emeritus Professor Dr Amorn Leelarasamee, who also serves as a Council member—will present the findings of the investigation. It is expected that summary documents will be distributed at the beginning of the meeting, and the subcommittee will provide clarifications and respond to questions regarding the investigation’s details.

If the Medical Council reaches a conclusion and proceeds to a vote on May 8, a majority vote will be required for the resolution to pass. The resolution will then be forwarded to the President of the Special Committee of the Medical Council, Somsak Thepsuthin, Minister of Public Health, for further consideration and final approval.

The ad hoc fact-finding subcommittee chaired by Dr Amorn was established pursuant to a resolution of the Medical Council on October 10, 2024. The subcommittee was formed in accordance with the Medical Profession Act 1982 to investigate a specific case following a complaint concerning medical ethics. The case involves the transfer of a patient, Thaksin, from the Department of Corrections Hospital to the Police General Hospital.

The subcommittee began its work in mid-December 2024, which included officially requesting relevant medical information from the Chief Medical Officer of the Police General Hospital to support the investigation. The case pertains to ethical considerations under the professional conduct standards governing medical practitioners.

Initially, the subcommittee intended to present its findings at the Medical Council’s meeting on April 10. However, the consideration was postponed for one month after the Police General Hospital and the Department of Corrections Hospital submitted additional medical documents related to Thaksin’s treatment. As a result, the subcommittee extended the investigation period and postponed submission of the findings to align with the Council’s meeting scheduled for May 8.

According to reporters, following the April 10 meeting, the Medical Council held a press conference. During this briefing, Assoc Prof (Special) Dr. Methee Wongsirisuwan, a Medical Council member, outlined the investigative process for medical ethics complaints, consisting of seven steps. The subcommittee chaired by Dr Amorn is currently in step 4. After the investigation concludes, the case must be submitted to the Screening Subcommittee (step 5), which includes external legal experts—non-physicians—to review and strengthen the case documentation.

Next, in step 6, the findings will be forwarded to the full Medical Council for a decision on whether the accused practitioner is guilty of misconduct and should be disciplined, or whether the complaint should be dismissed. If a resolution is passed, the process moves to step 7, which involves submission to the President of the Special Committee, Somsak , Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health.

If the President of the Special Committee disagrees and exercises his authority to reject the resolution, the matter will be returned to the Medical Council for further deliberation. Should the Council reaffirm its original resolution by a two-thirds majority, the accused (if found guilty and subject to disciplinary action) still retains the right to appeal the decision through the Administrative Court. However, if the Council fails to reach a two-thirds majority, the decision of the President of the Special Committee will be upheld.