Police Hospital refuses to disclose info on Thaksin’s health

Its spokesperson Sirikul Srisanga said that the hospital can only disclose such sensitive information to Thaksin’s family members and authorised officials of the Corrections Department.

After spending 15 years in self-imposed exile overseas, Thaksin returned to Thailand on August 22 to serve a prison term for corruption cases stemming from his tenure as prime minister between 2001 and 2006. The term was reduced from eight years to one year following a royal pardon.

On the first night of his imprisonment, Thaksin was taken from the Bangkok Remand Prison to the Police General Hospital for treatment of an undisclosed condition. He has reportedly been there ever since, although many critics claim the ex-premier was moved elsewhere.

Earlier, a group of activists called on the Police General Hospital’s chief doctor to strictly follow medical ethics and treat Thaksin’s case in the same way as other convicts sent for treatment at the hospital. The activists called on the hospital to send Thaksin back to the Corrections Department hospital, which they said was sufficiently equipped.

Sirikul said on Thursday that the Police General Hospital had accepted the petitions and forwarded them to higher authorities.

“But we are not allowed to disclose information about patients. The right to allow any disclosure falls to the patient and his/her family members. The Police General Hospital has a standard system that treats all patients equally,” she said.

The spokesperson said the doctors involved give careful consideration to all cases before sending any patients back to prison.

In response to a request from the House committee on law, justice and police affairs to examine floor 14 of the building where Thaksin reportedly is recovering, Sirikul said that the hospital would inform the Corrections Department accordingly. “I can’t say now if the request will be granted,” she added.