Banglamung Hospital Accused Of Callously Abandoning

[libya 115]

SOURCE: Pattaya Daily News: July 30th 2008

BANGLAMUNG HOSPITAL ACCUSED OF CALLOUSLY ABANDONING PATIENT IN SLUM

Yesterday, 29 July 2008, at 11.00 PM., Pol.Maj Wittaya Yeunyong, Pattaya Police Investigator, was notified that male patient in a bad condition had apparently been abandoned in a small soi in Arunotai Soi 11,Central Pattaya, Moo. 9. Police with a rescue team and a Pattaya city council member, rushed to the scene, immediately.

At the location, a 5 Rai area which is largely covered with slum properties in various states of dilapidation, the team found a man, Mr. Pairat Boonmakong(35), from Nongkai, under a tree, lying on a piece of a flat wood and covered by a white blanket bearing the inscription and logo of Banglamung Hospital. Mr. Pairat was shivering, suffering from diarrhea, and experiencing breathing difficulties. Police also found a bag of medicine, which apparently cures lung disease.

Questioning Mr. Supan Prukasem (34), a motorbike taxi who witnessed the whole occurrence, he told police that the evening in question, he had seen an ambulance with the name and logo of Banglamung Hospital circling the area many times. Finally, he saw Mr. Pairat, the patient, helped out of the van and deposited nearby by the driver, who then sped away. Mr. Supan did not take any serious notice, at the time, assuming the man had been taken to one of the slum properties, but carried on riding his motorbike taxi, servicing his passengers. Later on, while walking into the bushes, which also cover the area, Mr. Supan found Mr. Pairat just lying on the ground under a tree, in obvious distress, so he then called the police.

Mr. Pairat, later told the police that he made a living as a garbage collector, selling the items he finds. He said he has recently been suffering from lung disease and HIV. On 28 July, his friend had apparently taken him to Banglamung Hospital because he could not walk anymore. He was treated in the hospital for one night. On 29 July, at 3.00 PM., a doctor informed him that he was allowed to go home and they arranged for the hospital ambulance to take him out of the hospital and drop him off in the location where he was later found.

Mr. Sanit Boonmachai, Pattaya City Council Member, who was in charge of the case in co-operation with the police, then called Dr. Prasit Kittiwat, the President of Banglamung Hospital to find out the truth. Dr. Prasit Kittiwat, maintained there must have been a misunderstood between the hospital and the patient. He said Mr. Pairat, the patient had apparently told staff he wanted to go home, but he would question the medical team and driver for more details.

Later the same day, the hospital sent an ambulance to recover the patient, but this apparent attempt to gloss over the incident has done nothing to dispel the bad reputation that Banglamung Hospital has acquired, with persistent rumours of its inhumane, inconsiderate and uncaring attitude. Early this morning, 30 July, Dr. Tawan Poplarp, from Chonburi Province Public Health Department went to Banglamung Hospital to further investigate the matter of the apparently abandoned patient. Dr. Prasit Kittiwat, gave his summary report and Dr. Tawan also questioned Mr. Pairat, the patient, but he was unable to give much information, due to his sickness.

Dr. Tawan Poplarp at a press briefing reported that Mr. Pairat's friend had apparently taken him to the hospital yesterday and after giving him a check up, doctors gave him some medicine and arranged to send him home, making an appointment to return on Friday.

In the interim, Mr. Pairat's friend had apparently disappeared, leaving Mr. Pairat in a state of confusion. Hospital staff noticed that Mr. Pairat had been waiting too long, so they approached him, asked him what was happening and then arranged for him to be driven back to where he apparently wanted to go, a slum nearby the bush where he was later found, where he claimed his friend was living. Dr. Tawan also explained that when Mr. Pairat was dropped off, his friend was out working as a garbage collector, so Mr. Pairat was left alone, closest to the slum property where his friend apparently lived. This, according to Dr. Tawan, is the reason for the misunderstanding and why the taxi driver called the police.

Meanwhile, Mr. Pairat's condition has severely deteriorated, while the Banglamung Hospital staff will have to give a considerably more plausible explanation to the Chonburi Province Public Health HQ concerning this unfortunate case.

Photograph courtesy of Pattaya Daily News

[Boater]

a case of no money maybe?

[Scott]

This is a horribly sad story and I hope someone is held accountable.

[AGareth2]

What hope for us if they won't care for their own?

[Briggsy]

Money and discrimination against HIV sufferers would probably be the chief factors here.

One wonders how he managed to get past the admissions if he was a destitute man with fully-blown AIDS.