Doctor defends decision to resign after accusations of lying

A doctor who resigned from public service after 21 years due to excessive workloads in Mae Sot district, Tak, has defended herself against allegations of providing false information.

Dr Nuttagarn Chuenchom, an infectious disease specialist at Mae Sot Hospital, insisted she did not lie about the doctor-to-patient ratio, as claimed by Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin.

Public Health Minister Disputes Doctor’s Claims

On Friday, Dr Nuttagarn responded on her Facebook page, shortly after Somsak stated in an interview that she had given false figures about the doctor-to-patient ratio in Mae Sot.

Earlier in February, she had threatened to resign if the Public Health Ministry increased the hospital's burden by requiring it to care for Myanmar refugees without providing additional support. She later followed through on her resignation.

At the time, she argued that her hospital—already struggling with a shortage of doctors—was being unfairly forced to divert resources to treat Myanmar refugees, leaving Thai patients waiting. Dr Nuttagarn also revealed she had been instructed to visit refugee camps to treat patients with tuberculosis and HIV after healthcare centres along the Thai-Myanmar border were closed.

She initially reported that doctors in Mae Sot were handling a 1:8,000 doctor-to-patient ratio, as the hospital also had to care for migrant workers and refugees.

Somsak Refutes Doctor’s Numbers

Speaking on Friday, Somsak, without mentioning Dr Nuttagarn by name, disputed her claim.

He stated that Mae Sot has 110,000 Thai residents and 117,616 migrants, making the actual doctor-to-patient ratio 1:1,400, rather than 1:8,000. He further noted that the national average doctor-to-patient ratio is 1:1,100.

Doctor Stands by Her Decision to Resign

Following Somsak’s comments, Dr Nuttagarn posted on Facebook, stating that she had made the right decision to resign after witnessing the impact of the minister’s policies on healthcare professionals.

“He said I lied. He claimed there were no more than 100,000 foreigners in Mae Sot and that the doctor-to-patient ratio was 1:1,400, not 1:8,000. He accused me of exaggerating. So, it’s good that I resigned. Actually, I should have done it earlier,” she wrote.

Gratitude for Support and Message to Fellow Medical Staff
In a later post, Dr Nuttagarn thanked her supporters, stating that she remained in good spirits despite feeling discouraged throughout her 21-year service in the Public Health Ministry due to excessive workloads and unfair pay.

She expressed solidarity with medical professionals still working in the system, hoping they would receive fairer treatment soon.