Phuket riots: Patient's daughter 'will keep fighting'

[webfact]

Patient's daughter 'will keep fighting'
SALINEE PRAP
THE NATION

PHUKET: -- THE DAUGHTER of an elderly patient whose death could have been prevented if the rioters in Phuket's Thalang district had not blocked his ambulance from getting to a hospital on October 10 insisted yesterday that she would pursue the case until the end.

Testifying yesterday afternoon in a lawsuit she has filed against the rioters at the Tha Chat Chai Police Station, Natthaya Boon-in said she would press charges against all of those who blocked the ambulance and call for compensation.

"How would you feel if it was a member of your family?" she said.

Her father, Chian Srichoo, 73, was being transferred from Krabi Hospital to the better-equipped Bangkok Hospital Phuket for treatment for coronary stenosis when he went into shock and the medical crew in the ambulance said they needed to stop at the nearest facility, Thalang Hospital, for emergency treatment.

At the time, the road was being blocked, and the driver begged the protesters to let them through because the ambulance had a critically ill patient. The rioters, however, refused and even smashed the ambulance, she said.

The ambulance was forced to retreat until an unknown emergency truck led it to the hospital. It took half an hour to get to Thalang Hospital, but it was too late for her father, she said. She added that normally the journey would have taken less than five minutes and his death could have been prevented. So far, police have not yet filed any charges in this case.

Meanwhile, Phuket Governor Chamroen Thippongthada yesterday ordered officials to find out who began spreading rumours that protesters would march with the bodies of the two drug suspects to protest against the Thalang police. No such march was held.

Relatives of Pathomwat Panarak, 22, and Theerapong Srisamut, 17, who were accidentally killed while the police were chasing them on suspicions of drug possession on October 10, took possession of the bodies to carry out religious rites at Wat Ban Don yesterday. Several senior police officers from the Thalang Police Station attended the rites. Cremation has been set for Monday.

The deaths led to a riot, which resulted in several millions of baht in damage to state property and assets.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Patients-daughter-will-keep-fighting-30271490.html


-- The Nation 2015-10-24

[canopus1969]

She's being set up

[robblok]

She is right, if protesters not even let an ambulance pass with an ill patient they should be held accountable.

[zaphod reborn]

"The daughter of an elderly patient whose death could have been prevented"

Biased journalism from The Nation. The patient had heart failure and was almost 2 hours from a hospital. Don't write it as a fact, when it isn't. The daughter has a right to pursue a lawsuit against the rioters to prove her claim, the Nation doesn't have a right to claim that it has proven it for her.

[sawadee1947]

very brave....keep fighting

[anon467848]

Not condoning the rioters behaviour, and the unfortunate loss of life, but if the ambulance had trained paramedics onboard then the loss could have been avoided. I'll wager that most ambulances in Thailand don't have defibrillators, even if they do, the nurses onboard aren't trained to use them. TIT

Edited October 24, 2015 by merlin2002

[Tywais]

but if the ambulance had trained paramedics onboard then the loss could have been avoided.

Not if he needed emergency open heart surgery or other invasive procedures which is probably why he was sent to a better equipped and experienced hospital. You don't know what emergency attempts were being made in the ambulance. I've seen plenty of videos of paramedics performing life saving procedures on accident victims to see they, at least many, are well trained.

[nahkit]

Presumably The Nation are better informed than the doctors at the hospital:

"“We don’t blame the situation on Saturday night. The traffic jam [caused by the riots] did not contribute to the man’s death; he already had a life-threatening heart condition,” Dr Somboon said."

This was covered on ThaiVisa in a previous thread.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/862523-one-dead-as-phuket-mob-blockade-delays-rescue-efforts/

[webfact]

Phuket rioters responsible for death of 73-year-old Krabi man says family
Eakkapop Thongtub


Nathaya Boon-in, 35, files her complaint at Tha Chatchai Police Station yesterday (Oct 23).

PHUKET: -- The family of the 73-year-old Krabi man who had suffered a heart attack and died in an ambulance while being transported to Bangkok Hospital Phuket during the Thalang riots yesterday (Oct 23) filed a complaint at Tha Chatchai Police Station accusing the rioters of contributing to the man’s death.

Nathaya Boon-in, 35, the daughter of the deceased, Chein Srichoo, has stated in the complaint that the rioters contributed to the death of Mr Chein as they blocked Thepkrasattri Rd on the night of Oct 10 and refused to let the ambulance she and her father was in pass through.

Ms Nataya said an ambulance from Krabi tried to pass Thepkrasattri Rd at 2am on Sunday Oct11, however, the mob blocked the ambulance from passing and attacked it with pieces of woods and other objects.

The ambulance driver, who does not know the area well, was forced to take an alternative route and ended up getting lost in Layan Beach.

The ambulance once again attempted to get to Bangkok Hospital via the Thalang intersection but was again blocked by the angry mob.

Ms Nataya and and medical staff tried to reason with the mob and told them the man needed urgent medical attention but the mob used metal bars and bricks to attack the vehicle.

The ambulance was stuck there for a further 10 minutes before it could make its way to the hospital, however, by this time Mr Chein had already gone into a coma so they took him to Thalang Hospital. He was later transferred to Vachira Hospital where he died upon arrival.

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-rioters-responsible-for-death-of-73-year-old-krabi-man-says-family-54665.php


-- Phuket News 2015-10-24

[canopus1969]

The ambulance driver, who does not know the area well

So (A) they employ drivers who do not know where to go and ( they do not have GPS Suggest the fault is with the hospital sending out ill equipped vehicles.

[FBlue72]

"The daughter of an elderly patient whose death could have been prevented"

Biased journalism from The Nation. The patient had heart failure and was almost 2 hours from a hospital. Don't write it as a fact, when it isn't. The daughter has a right to pursue a lawsuit against the rioters to prove her claim, the Nation doesn't have a right to claim that it has proven it for her.

Would you expect any better from The Nation-alist ? I would guess this is a preliminary action and from the contrarian's view, what a stroke of fortune the rioters made for her. I think she has a valid complaint, but suing a bunch of as of yet un-idicted hoodlums will be futile, time and money consuming.

Better to initiate a claim against police for not controlling the situation. In fact any half decent attorney would be licking her chops, the entire Phuket government could be defendants in this one with an enormous settlement.

Edited October 24, 2015 by FBlue72

[BeefSlapper]

She is right, if protesters not even let an ambulance pass with an ill patient they should be held accountable.

in civilized countries protesters always let go ambulances, that even on war torn territories.

Thats low

[FBlue72]

The ambulance driver, who does not know the area well

So (A) they employ drivers who do not know where to go and ( they do not have GPS Suggest the fault is with the hospital sending out ill equipped vehicles.

The hospital was also a five minute walk away. I'm thinking even maybe a few porters and CPR providers could have been culled if ambulance staff was not sufficient- the driver and at least one attendant, probably two.

As an aside something I noted when I saw the station the next day is there is a fire truck station right next door with an adjoining driveway-and there was a truck there. Was it not operational? Could the fires have been put out?

My hunch is there's really a lot to this story we are not getting.

[FBlue72]

She is right, if protesters not even let an ambulance pass with an ill patient they should be held accountable.

in civilized countries protesters always let go ambulances, that even on war torn territories.

Thats low

In civilized countries ...

....and the civility facade thins further.

How many times have I seen drivers refuse to pull over for ambulances. I've even been honked at angrily for impeding a too typically selfish driver when I slowed and attempted to pull to the left.