Illegal care centre in Chiang Mai sends Thai father to hospital

A Thai woman took her father to a care centre in Chiang Mai, only to receive the news that he was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. It was later revealed that the centre was operating illegally.

A Facebook user named Mimm Jewpanya pleaded for help yesterday after her father was admitted to a care centre in Chiang Mai. The man, who suffers from a brain condition, was recently discharged from the hospital and required ongoing care.

The family decided to place him in a care centre that claimed to have expertise in handling such cases.

Just four hours after leaving her father at the centre, Mimm was informed that he had bitten his tongue and was bleeding from the mouth, necessitating immediate hospitalisation. Initially, the family thought the father was stressed due to the new environment.

However, upon arrival at the hospital, the doctors discovered that he had fractured ribs, indicating that he had fallen from a significant height. It was suspected that he fell from the second floor of the care centre, where he was placed despite the family’s initial concerns about the safety of such an arrangement.

“We expressed our worries about the second-floor room, but the centre assured us that there would be no issues and even offered additional staff supervision for an extra fee. We agreed and paid for the extra service, but the outcome was disastrous.”

Illegal operation

Following the incident, it was discovered that the care centre was not legally authorised to operate. This revelation not only affected Mimm’s family but also posed a risk to other patients at the centre. The discovery led to questions about the oversight and regulation of such facilities.

“Many families, including ours, are now questioning how we can ensure that care centres are up to standard and properly accredited. This incident has shown how vulnerable patients can be in unregulated environments.”

Chiang Mai, being a large province, hosts numerous care centres. The incident has raised significant concerns about how families can verify the credentials and safety standards of these facilities. Mimm also highlighted the lack of accountability from the care centre, which had yet to take any concrete responsibility for the incident, reported KhaoSod.

“This situation has not only harmed our family but has also put many other patients at risk. We need to know what measures the government will take to protect ordinary people and ensure that care centres are operating legally and safely.”