Dhammakaya follower dies of asthma after ambulance stopped by troops: monk spokesman
Phra Sanitwong Wuttiwangso, director of communications for Wat Dhammakaya, said Wednesday a woman died of asthma inside the temple at noon because an ambulance was stopped by troops and could not reach her in time.
The monk spokesman of the temple said the woman, Pattana Chiangraeng, 48 from Phayao, became the second victim of the enforcement of Article 44 of the interim charter.
He said the woman ran out of her asthma spray at 11:29 am and asked for help but the blackout of the phone signal made it difficult for the people in the temple to call for emergency help.
The monk said an ambulance from Ratanawej rescue centre could not pass through a road checkpoint of the military so it asked the 1669 emergency centre of the government to send another ambulance. But the 1669 centre did not know the route to rescue the woman.
Eventually, the private Ratanawej rescuers had to seek permission from officials at Gate 7 of the temple to lead a 1669 ambulance to the patient. The all process took about 1 hour and ten minutes. When the ambulance reached at 12:39 pm, the woman had died, the monk said.