Chest X-Ray Stock Image showing scissors forgotten after surgery.

A new malpractice bill is being criticized by doctors, and one medical official is speaking out. Dr. Methee Wongsirisuwan, who is a senior member of the Medical Council of Thailand, says the new Protection of Victims of Medical Mistreatment Bill will complicate malpractice issues and make medical workers more reluctant to provide treatment.

Dr. Methee calls the bill “populist policy,” stating that it pleases the public because it offers financial compensation.

If the bill passes, patients will be given automatic compensation for medical malpractice complaints, and the accused will not be given a chance to defend themselves or verify the medical mistakes. Up to 1.4 billion baht will be allocated to provide this compensation.

Dr. Methee says the bill doesn’t tackle the underlying problem as it pays victims without even verifying mistakes or mistreatment claims.

The medical official decided to speak up as a group of malpractice victims continue push the bill to be passed. Dr. Methee says the automatic accusation will deter doctors from practicing in the country. The bill also encourages victims or their families to find faults with their doctors just to obtain compensation. To make matters worse, the bill proposes no ceiling on the amount of compensation victims can receive.

-- 2015-04-07

Haha Doc Methee not being funny but if a surgeon leaves a pair of scissors inside a patient after surgery then I am thinking they are entitled to some compensation dont you think

Edited April 8, 201511 yr by DiamondKing

Only after a fair trial and for a reasonable amount. Here's a biggie where due to a jury, a doctor was found not to be responsible but rather the hospital was. I thought the award was outrageous. This was Oakland, California 2002.