Clampdown on hospital brawls necessary, say authorities

By THE NATION

 

 

THE MEDICAL Council has warned that brawlers who invade hospitals after midnight will face a jail term of up to five years, adding that drunks should also be banned from hospitals unless they are injured.

 

The legal action was highlighted after drunk brawlers entered three hospitals in three provinces during the Songkran period to attack their victims, even after they had been hospitalised for injuries. 

 

The attackers refused to stop assaulting the victims, despite warnings from hospital staff and security guards. 

 

“We have consulted the Public Health Ministry’s permanent secretary, public prosecutors and police. The use of violence inside hospitals is a crime,” Medical Council’s secretary-general Ittaporn Kanacharoen said yesterday.

 

As of press time, Prachuap Khiri Khan police chief Pol Maj-General Surasak Suksawang said the nine people who were involved in a fight inside Bang Saphan Hospital are facing charges of colluding in physical assault. 

 

“There were two groups fighting at a temporary food stall in the province’s Bang Saphan Noi district, when some of them got injured. So, when they ran into each other again at the hospital, another brawl broke out,” he said. 

 

The hospital director has also filed a complaint of property damage because one of the brawlers used a Buddha statue in the fight. The statue had been placed in a prominent spot for people to seek Songkran blessings. 

 

Ittaporn said any physical assault or acts of vandalism inside hospitals before midnight will be punishable by up to one year in jail, which will rise to five years after the stroke of midnight. 

 

Lamenting that most brawlers are drunk, Ittaporn said he wants inebriated people to be barred from entering emergency rooms except in the event that they themselves are patients or are relatives of patients.

 

“If possible, police and volunteers should help maintain safety at hospitals,” he suggested, adding that society should help protect medical personnel whose mission it is to treat and save people. 

 

Ittaporn added that the Medical Council will raise the issue with relevant authorities and hold a related seminar on May 7. 

 

Kosonlavat Intujunyong, deputy spokesman of the Office of the Attorney-General, said on Facebook that attacks inside hospitals were in blatant defiance of law. 

 

“Police may not be able to arrest them on site, but evidence from CCTV and clips recorded by Good Samaritans will be used to track them down,” he said. 

 

He added that intoxication was not grounds for exoneration. 

 

According to Kosonlavat, those harming others and causing damage inside hospitals could be held liable for several crimes, including physical assault, damaging public facilities, resisting officials’ operations and violation of officials’ orders.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30367927

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-04-19

 

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

Ittaporn said any physical assault or acts of vandalism inside hospitals before midnight will be punishable by up to one year in jail, which will rise to five years after the stroke of midnight. 

 

Why not make it five years across the board ? 

I think it would be a better deterrent, rather than making a pre midnight attack a lesser offence. 

15 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

Why not make it five years across the board ? 

I think it would be a better deterrent, rather than making a pre midnight attack a lesser offence. 

Attacking hospital personnel or patients is beyond the pale. It is just one of those things you simply don't do. So yes, stiff penalties are well warranted, no matter what time it is.

26 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

Why not make it five years across the board ? 

I think it would be a better deterrent, rather than making a pre midnight attack a lesser offence. 

 

If the threat of a year in a Thai jail doesn't stop 'em, 5 years won't slow them down either.  And the societal costs of long prison terms is pretty hefty.  Families destroyed, all future prospects dashed...

 

Sure, it's despicable.  But the sentence should fit the crime.  Otherwise, why not just hang 'em?

 

Edited April 18, 20197 yr by impulse

30 minutes ago, webfact said:

Ittaporn said any physical assault or acts of vandalism inside hospitals before midnight will be punishable by up to one year in jail, which will rise to five years after the stroke of midnight. 

A Cinderella story , 

what lessons an assault surely not TIME!

51 minutes ago, webfact said:

He added that intoxication was not grounds for exoneration. 

Only in Thailand must something so obvious be said.

 

We understand, though. In Thailand, it's ALWAYS someone else's or something else's fault. 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

“Police may not be able to arrest them on site,

Whaaaaaaat!!!!!!

 

That's the strangest thing I've ever heard. 

Hilarious!  Some Thai people never leave their teen years...ready to start or join a melee in an instant...???? 

2 hours ago, Dexlowe said:

Whaaaaaaat!!!!!!

 

That's the strangest thing I've ever heard. 

It is certainly badly written and I initially thought the same as you, but I think what they are trying to say is if the perps have already gone by the time the cops arrive, then they will track them down using images.

What a respectful and caring culture. Surreal. M>

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Ittaporn said he wants inebriated people to be barred from entering emergency rooms except in the event that they themselves are patients or are relatives of patients.

Congrats to your common sense Ittaporn! How about a signboard at the entrances:

"Drunk family members welcome!"

A simple sign of no admissions for brawlers after 12pm should fix the problem but if you come before the curfew you can battle it out for a reduced sentence????

haha, only after midnight ? so ok for the rest of the day... like buying alcohol in this country..

Quote

We have consulted the Public Health Ministry’s permanent secretary, public prosecutors and police. The use of violence inside hospitals is a crime,” Medical Council’s secretary-general Ittaporn Kanacharoen said yesterday.

Take it outside, boys!

4 hours ago, webfact said:

THE MEDICAL Council has warned that brawlers who invade hospitals after midnight will face a jail sentence

though it is acceptable to brawl prior to midnight ?

3 hours ago, impulse said:

Otherwise, why not just hang 'em?

Only if  its  by the balls.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

nine people who were involved in a fight inside Bang Saphan Hospital are facing charges of colluding in physical assault.

200x9=1800Baht not bad...

13 minutes ago, Bipolar said:

I seriously think that this is the wrong type of punishment. Use section 44 and all these culprits should be deemed as lower life forms that immediately come under the care of the Government and to be used as specimens for drug trials or whatever new experimental protocols etc. And if these specimens do not make it throught, simply incinerate them and use the ashes for fertilizers.  Putting them into jails etc is a waste of tax payers money and seriously, you cannot rehabilitate lower life forms like these.

Or why not just conscript them and send them down south?

2 hours ago, moonseeker said:

What a respectful and caring culture. Surreal. M>

what's culture got to do with it?

Look west and see how many gang attacks happen in hospitals with the perps running amok with knives to finish off someone taken to a hospital for treatment.

<deleted> to do with culture, surreal that you think it is.

the fact it is in the mainstream news and in the west it probably wouldn't even make the local papers might lead some to believe it is not as big a problem here as it is elsewhere

Edited April 19, 20197 yr by metisdead
Profane acronym removed.

In case anyone thinks it's just a Thailand problem.

In Australia it's more often the drugged crazed rather than drunks.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-21/wa-health-department-to-issue-body-armour-to-doctors-nurses/10647378

It says a lot about a country that has to take special measures to prevent local violent thugs from brawling in hospitals.

And even worse using a statue of Buddha as a weapon. The irony is that Buddha is supposed to symbolise intellectual and ethical perfection, hardly the qualities of these hoodlums. 

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Why not make it five years across the board ? 

I think it would be a better deterrent, rather than making a pre midnight attack a lesser offence. 

do you know where you are??

YOUR IN THAILAND they dont think to simplify terms in jail.

By the way I AGREE WITH YOU

 

Many hospitals have chapels, prayer rooms. Why not add "brawling room"? Get in fight, injuries, get quick treatment on site, back into the fight, repeat as needed. Could be a real money maker

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Why not make it five years across the board ? 

I think it would be a better deterrent, rather than making a pre midnight attack a lesser offence. 

' assault or acts of vandalism inside hospitals before midnight will be punishable by up to one year in jail, which will rise to five years after the stroke of midnight '.

 

Yes, very silly! Makes little to no sense from what I can make out. An arbitrary desgination, like so many in Thailand.

 

I mean what are they, Gremlins!?

Edited April 19, 20197 yr by CanterbrigianBangkoker

One poster, commenting on another post concerning a foreigner who was yelling after being involved in a motorscooter accident, described Thais as "Calm and beautiful". Generally yes, but the reality is that the beast can reveal itself, regardless of nationality or disguise.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

"Police may not be able to arrest them on site, but evidence from CCTV and clips recorded by Good Samaritans will be used to track them down,” he said. 

If the police actually turned up when called, or (revolutionary idea this) patrolled actively, then they could arrest them...

 

This and a few other such statements leads me to conclude that the police are afraid of the dark.

Off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

no one asks why anyone would be brawling at a hospital.... which only takes a few minutes to figure out all the way from A down to Z.  yet the number one priority is to not only not to change that at all..... but to let it accelerate even further along.

 

which makes Thailand and America very similar.

 

but what we do involves a lot more than hospital brawls. and we are accelerating that as well, again ( the USA )

 

and both of these cultural artifacts involve increasingly pervasive non-literacy at their root. what otherwise vies for most folks favorite pastime, in places such as Singapore, LA and Hong Kong.... as opposed to eating, sleeping and drinking.... non fiction and science based literacy, except in Red states in the USA.... and SE Asian culture quite pervasively.  it’s almost ‘too obvious’ somehow but never talked about much or enough.

 

some things are simple to understand, it seems to me.  I must be crazy.

Edited April 19, 20197 yr by WeekendRaider

2 hours ago, DoctorG said:

It is certainly badly written and I initially thought the same as you, but I think what they are trying to say is if the perps have already gone by the time the cops arrive, then they will track them down using images.

Yes, I was a bit quick on the trigger. But of course one would hope that any such problem involving a hospital would draw instant police reaction. Even from the Thai police who often seem to be conspicuous by their absence when violence breaks out.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Clampdown on hospital brawls necessary, say authorities

Following my "what the...." reaction I suddenly came to my senses and remembered where I am!

Geeze - even the Irish don't riot in hospital's.

Edited April 19, 20197 yr by johnny49r