MP investigates Thaksin’s alleged 2 million baht treatment at Police Hospital
A delegation from the Police Committee of the House of Representatives, led by its chairman Chaichana Dejdecho, an MP from Nakhon Si Thammarat and a Deputy Leader of the Democrat Party, visited the Police Hospital to check on the health of former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The delegation was guided by Police Lieutenant Colonel Samart Muangsiri, a doctor at the Police Hospital, and his team, who provided detailed explanations and responded to various inquiries.
Chaichana, along with Tipa Paweenasathien an MP from Lampang and the spokesperson for the Far-reaching Party, visited the Bhumibol Adulyadej 88 Anniversary Building. This facility serves as a treatment residence for the 74 year old former PM.
Chaichana requested permission to investigate the condition of Thaksin, which was later denied by the hospital, citing patient privacy rights.
Upon reaching the 14floor of the building, Chaichana and the committee interacted with hospital staff for approximately ten minutes but were not allowed into the patient’s room. The hospital staff then led the committee to visit inmates receiving treatment on the 7th floor of the building.
Chaichana revealed that the only inmate staying overnight at the hospital was Thaksin while others were outpatients. After discussing with the hospital, he was allowed to visit the 14th floor to investigate the prisoner control procedures.
He found a total of eight officers, including prison officers and local police, on duty. As per the hospital’s regulations, the officers were required to rotate their shifts to ensure 24-hour surveillance and report to their superiors every two hours.
Chaichana reiterated that his visit was not to meet any specific individual and he had no intention of interfering in the medical treatment process. His main aim was to examine the procedure and method of control when inmates stay overnight at the hospital.
He requested the Department of Corrections to clarify whether Thaksin was indeed staying at the hospital, stating that it was not his duty to confirm the same. Chaichana affirmed that he was there to understand the procedures and not to confirm the presence of any particular inmate.
He urged the Department of Corrections to make the situation clear to the public; otherwise, they would be seen as the culprit in the eyes of society.
2 Million Baht
Regarding the hospital’s CCTV system, Chaichana requested the prime minister to use the 2 million baht budget allocated for overseas trips to repair the defunct CCTV system. He found that not only the building but also the surrounding area’s CCTV system had been faulty for several years.
The committee’s visit aimed to understand the procedures and methods followed when inmates are sent for treatment at the Police Hospital. They were interested in knowing whether all inmates were treated equally.
This visit was particularly significant due to public curiosity and concern about the treatment of Thaksin, who had been receiving treatment at the hospital since August 23, reported KhaoSod.
