Correctional Hospital has not yet decided whether to sue Medical Council
Correctional Hospital denies reports it plans legal action over Medical Council’s ruling on Thaksin case; awaits health minister’s final decision.
The Department of Corrections on Sunday denied media reports claiming that its hospital has already resolved to seek a court order to revoke the Medical Council’s resolution to discipline three doctors involved in certifying former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra for an extended hospital stay.
In a press statement released on Sunday, the department stated that some media outlets had inaccurately reported with headlines such as: “Correctional Hospital plans to seek court revocation of Medical Council’s resolution.”
The department clarified that the Correctional Hospital became aware of the council’s resolution only through media coverage.
It further stated that both the department and the hospital are awaiting the final decision of Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin regarding the matter.
“As a result, the Correctional Hospital has not yet taken any action on the issue. The misleading media reports may cause public misunderstanding,” the statement read.
On Thursday, 8 May, the Medical Council resolved to suspend the medical licences of two doctors and to issue a warning to a third. The council concluded that Thaksin was not critically ill — the medical justification the three doctors used to allow the former prime minister to serve his sentence in the Police General Hospital instead of the Bangkok Remand Prison.
However, Somsak, a key member of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, has 15 days to veto the council’s resolution. Should he choose to do so, the council would need to reaffirm its resolution with a two-thirds majority of its 72 members — a threshold considered difficult to achieve.
“The Department of Corrections is still awaiting the decision of the Public Health Ministry,” the statement concluded.
