Absent Thai doctors face penalties for endorsing clinics
The Medical Council of Thailand (MCT) has issued a warning that doctors allowing their names to endorse clinics without actively working there will face penalties under new regulations.
The issue has gained attention from the public following a case involving Senator Keskamol Pleansamai, whose 126 million baht asset disclosure revealed that approximately 210,000 baht of her annual income was earned by having her name displayed on a clinic’s sign where she did not work.
Dr Methee Wongsirisuwan, Assistant Secretary at the MCT, stated yesterday that such endorsements breach disciplinary rules and are illegal under the newly announced regulations set to take effect on February 9. Penalties include suspension of medical licences for one year or permanent revocation for repeat offenders.
Dr Methee noted that doctors whose names appear on clinic signage can earn up to 50,000 baht monthly. Many claim ignorance of the regulations, alleging they were misinformed by recruiters about the legality of the practice.
The MCT has received numerous complaints and advises doctors, especially recent graduates, to avoid jeopardising their careers by participating in these schemes. Dr Arkhom Praditsuwan, Deputy Director of the Department of Health Service Support, emphasised that compliance with the Medical Facilities Act 1998 is mandatory. Doctors whose names are used on clinic signs must work at those facilities. Clinic owners and managers also face penalties, which include fines of up to 40,000 baht and potential imprisonment of up to five years, reported Bangkok Post.
In similar news, a scammer posing as a doctor contacted a Thai mother who had recently had a baby for explicit images of her post-birth wounds. Fortunately, the victim refused to share any explicit images. The incident prompted a warning from an obstetrics and gynaecology clinic, Doctor Pemika Clinic, in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima urging patients to beware of impersonators. The clinic revealed that one of their female patients almost fell victim to the scam.
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