Chinese construction firm raises safety fears at Songkhla Hospital
Concerns have emerged over the safety of a new outpatient building being constructed at Songkhla Hospital, with fears exacerbated by the involvement of a Chinese company previously linked to a collapsed building.
The 426 million baht project, managed by China Railway No. 10, is under scrutiny after the firm’s involvement in a tragic incident at the Office of the Auditor General, where a building collapsed following an earthquake on March 28.
Images of the ongoing construction at Songkhla Hospital, shared widely on social media, have fuelled public anxiety, given the company’s history.
Many are questioning whether safety standards are being met, particularly after the previous incident raised serious concerns about the firm’s track record.
To address these fears, Songkhla representative Sanphet Boonyamanee, Dr Songkran Maichum, the provincial public health doctor, hospital director Dr Rattanapol Lorprasitkul, and an engineering team visited the site.
Sanphet responded to the growing worries by engaging with the supervising engineers. They assured him that the new nine-storey building was specifically designed to meet earthquake-resistant standards and adheres to all safety regulations.
The project is being funded by the Ministry of Public Health with an allocation of over 426 million baht.
Sanphet, emphasising his role as a representative of the people of Songkhla, reassured the public that he has no personal interest in the project and is committed to ensuring its transparency. He vowed to oversee the construction closely to ensure that safety protocols are strictly followed and to alleviate any lingering doubts from the community.
Despite these reassurances, the involvement of a firm with a history of safety lapses continues to raise concerns. However, local officials remain confident that the new hospital building will meet the necessary standards, providing much-needed medical facilities while maintaining the safety of both workers and future patients, reported KhaoSod.
In similar news, the investigation into the collapsed State Audit Office building revealed that two steel samples did not meet the required standards, contributing to discrepancies in measurements.
One sample, a 32mm deformed bar, failed to meet yield strength requirements, while the other, a 20mm bar, had substandard mass. Both samples came from the same company, which had been ordered to halt production in December.
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