Thai rescuer faces death threat for exposing hospital’s refusal to treat foreigner

[webfact]

A Thai rescuer is facing death threats after he exposed to the local and international news agencies that a private hospital in Bangkok refused to treat a foreigner who later died because of the delay in treatment.

The rescuer facing the threats, Kittipong Pimphun, of the Ruam Katanyu Foundation, revealed with Channel 7 that he rescued a Taiwanese man who was injured in a car accident and took him to a private hospital near the scene, but the hospital refused to treat the foreigner.

 

According to Kittipong, the medical workers at the hospital informed him and other rescuers that the patient was a foreigner, and the hospital did not know where they could claim the treatment fee.

Kittipong had to find another hospital for the Taiwanese man, but the foreign man died on the way to the second hospital. Kittipong said he felt this was unfair to the foreigner and decided to share the story on social media on December 8.

 

by Petch Petpailin

Photo via Channel 7

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-12-28

 

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[Pouatchee]

wow... so a thai cannot reveal the truth about a thai institution, or another thai?

 

this brings 'thai rak thai' to a whole new level.

no place for the truth here

Edited December 28, 2023 by Pouatchee

[Tropicalevo]

Well done khun Kittipong. You did the right thing.

Shame that those in the wrong can be so evil as well.

The folk in that hospital are digging the hole deeper and deeper.

[stoner]

you know if this was a corrupt lawyer or politician that got exposed ok i kind of get it grrrrr right. but a hospital ? 

[connda]

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

A Thai rescuer is facing death threats after he exposed to the local and international news agencies that a private hospital in Bangkok refused to treat a foreigner who later died because of the delay in treatment.

The rescuer facing the threats, Kittipong Pimphun, of the Ruam Katanyu Foundation, revealed with Channel 7 that he rescued a Taiwanese man who was injured in a car accident and took him to a private hospital near the scene, but the hospital refused to treat the foreigner.

 

According to Kittipong, the medical workers at the hospital informed him and other rescuers that the patient was a foreigner, and the hospital did not know where they could claim the treatment fee.

Kittipong had to find another hospital for the Taiwanese man, but the foreign man died on the way to the second hospital. Kittipong said he felt this was unfair to the foreigner and decided to share the story on social media on December 8.

 

by Petch Petpailin

Photo via Channel 7

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-12-28

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

 

But the Thai government will claim it isn't so - but it is.
If it's really illegal to turn away emergency cases, then charge the hospital and its administrators in court for criminal and civil damages.

But - that will happen right after Thaksin serves his term in a real Thai prison.

[Bday Prang]

 Why such an extreme reaction ?    And who would be inclined to issue or organise and sanction such death threats  ?   I doubt it is any of the medical staff working in the A&E departments.  Presumably someone with a vested interest in the hospitals reputation.   Senior manager?  Shareholders?  They could start with whoever refused him treatment,   can't be that hard to round a few suspects up, unless of course they are protected.

  No sign of big joke or those social media justice warriors supporting him either

Edited December 28, 2023 by Bday Prang

[Woof999]

13 minutes ago, connda said:

If it's really illegal to turn away emergency cases, then charge the hospital and its administrators in court for criminal and civil damages.

 

If this is the case then charge them with manslaughter, or the closest indirect charge related to it.

[VinnieK]

Maybe the family can sue the feckers.

This being said,the rescue workers should know the hospital policy and choose a govt hospital as a first choice.

I believe the refusal is standard procedure for all private hospitals here

[Bday Prang]

35 minutes ago, stoner said:

you know if this was a corrupt lawyer or politician that got exposed ok i kind of get it grrrrr right. but a hospital ? 

There will be a few of the above involved somewhere in the higher echelons of the hospital  

[Bday Prang]

If the refusal to accept the patient is true, and there appears to be little doubt that it is,  The hospital should be named.

 

[Ralf001]

So will that just be the hospital filing slander charges or the workers filing a class action suit ?

Edited December 28, 2023 by Ralf001

[Andre0720]

If you combine the selfishness pervasive in this culture, with its irresponsibility, it all becomes clear

[VocalNeal]

Why not take the man to a Government Hospital? Oh wait. Commission🤔

[Ralf001]

13 minutes ago, VinnieK said:

 

I believe the refusal is standard procedure for all private hospitals here

 

I just had a major operation not covered by either my private insurance of social security, I was asked how the costs will be covered and I simply said credit card.....they did not even want a obligatory pre-admission card swipe.

[metisdead]

A post with derogatory trolling comments toward Thailand and the replies contravening our Community Standards have been removed.

[Dan O]

37 minutes ago, connda said:

But the Thai government will claim it isn't so - but it is.
If it's really illegal to turn away emergency cases, then charge the hospital and its administrators in court for criminal and civil damages.

But - that will happen right after Thaksin serves his term in a real Thai prison.

IF you ever hear any conclusion or follow up on this story it will be a first.  In the end the investigation will decide it was just a misunderstanding between the hospital staff who were just trying to clarify what insurance or who would take financial responsibility and they never turned him away. The emergency responder in his haste to help the injured just misunderstood them and left to go to another hospital before it could be sorted out. 

[Ralf001]

13 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

 The hospital should be named.

 

 

The incident happened at the Srinagarindra Road and Phatthanakan Rd junction.

 

Vibharam Hospital is located 455m away....just saying.

[daveAustin]

41 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

 Why such an extreme reaction ?  

 

Loss of face.

[worgeordie]

The  hippocratic oath, must not exist in Thailand , it's money before everything.....

 

regards worgeordie

[soalbundy]

No need for conspiracy theories, nutters abound everywhere, in the West anyone in the public eye is open to death threats from someone who feels his ideals have been slighted.

[Bday Prang]

28 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

 

The incident happened at the Srinagarindra Road and Phatthanakan Rd junction.

 

Vibharam Hospital is located 455m away....just saying.

Be careful now !

[Gandtee]

15 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

The  hippocratic oath, must not exist in Thailand , it's money before everything.....

 

regards worgeordie

The hypocritic oath is taken instead it would seem

[Bday Prang]

8 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

No need for conspiracy theories, nutters abound everywhere, in the West anyone in the public eye is open to death threats from someone who feels his ideals have been slighted.

Not many anonymous  death threats aimed at ambulance drivers though, 

[hansnl]

20 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

The  hippocratic oath, must not exist in Thailand , it's money before everything.....

 

regards worgeordie

Fact is private hospitals are there to make money, the medical care is not that important.

Not my words, but of a professor.

Went to a private hospital for a checkup relating to insurance, the doctor told me I had a heart attack in the past.

Wanted to know more, went to a state  heart hospital, after half a day tests, no heart attack.

My last visit to any private hospital.

Edited December 28, 2023 by hansnl

[Hanuman2547]

Good on Kittipong Pimphun for exposing this.  Hopefully the hospital can be officially named as well as the executives at the hospital.  Additional charges should be filed for making threats against Kittipong.  

[spidermike007]

In the related article. 

 

Kittpong revealed to Channel 7 that he received a friend request from a LINE account, 474boing, at about 8.38pm that day. The account later sent the threatening messages to Kittipong, saying…

“Hey, what are you saying about the hospital? Be careful. Do not be too brave. You might have to pay for it with your life.”

 

So now we have a hospital mafia too? It doesn't surprise me, it's big business and they don't like egg on the face, which they richly deserve. 

[Bday Prang]

7 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

In the related article. 

 

Kittpong revealed to Channel 7 that he received a friend request from a LINE account, 474boing, at about 8.38pm that day. The account later sent the threatening messages to Kittipong, saying…

“Hey, what are you saying about the hospital? Be careful. Do not be too brave. You might have to pay for it with your life.”

 

So now we have a hospital mafia too? It doesn't surprise me, it's big business and they don't like egg on the face, which they richly deserve. 

                If this is a true translation is actually quite cleverly written , in so much that it could technically be construed as a genuine warning from a concerned 3rd party. That displays at least a degree of sophistication on behalf of who ever wrote it. So its unlikely in my opinion to have originated from one of the orderlies /  hospital porters who were on duty at the time of the incident

                 Wherever there is money one will find mafia types   the more money floating around the more these types proliferate,  there is huge amount of money involved in private medical care, and when coupled with the equally lucrative insurance business,  the potential for extortion must be absolutely irresistible for all involved      I would bet that everyone of these private hospitals will have very influential people involved at the highest level which pretty much guarantees immunity from any problems at all

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

wow... so a thai cannot reveal the truth about a thai institution, or another thai?

Defamation regarding a person or an institution is protected by a law in Thailand.

It has nothing to do with revealing the truth.

 

[klauskunkel]

A winning strategy by Vibharam Hospital:

How to compound an already bad situation

[Ralf001]

2 hours ago, soalbundy said:

No need for conspiracy theories, nutters abound everywhere

 

They all come to AN like flies to a dug turd.