BANGKOK, Thailand – The Medical Council of Thailand has launched an ethics investigation into a part-time physician who was dismissed by a private hospital following the death of a 31-year-old patient from a heart attack, officials said on Monday. The probe follows a public complaint by Benyaporn Phanphet, a local schoolteacher and social media influencer, whose husband died on July 16 after being denied an electrocardiogram (ECG) test at San Camillo Hospital in Ratchaburi province. According to the Social Security Office, the patient arrived at the hospital complaining of chest pain radiating to his arms and excessive sweating. Despite requests from relatives, the attending internal medicine physician diagnosed the symptoms as anxiety and discharged him. The patient went into shock and died later that day. An autopsy subsequently revealed two blocked coronary arteries.
Following an internal investigation, San Camillo Hospital issued a statement announcing the immediate termination of the 70-year-old part-time physician, effective July 19. The hospital stated that the doctor had violated staff regulations and medical ethics by using impolite language when communicating with the patient and his family. Air Chief Marshal Ittaporn Kanacharoen, Secretary-General of the Medical Council of Thailand, stated that the council is collecting medical records, autopsy results, and testimonies from all parties to determine if professional standards were breached. Separately, the Department of Health Service Support (DHSS) and local health officials inspected the hospital today. Authorities said that if the hospital is found to have provided substandard care, the Social Security Office could impose penalties, including reducing its registered patient quota. (TNA)
