Yingluck in hospital for food poisoning
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Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was admitted to hospital early yesterday for food poisoning, resulting in her schedule for the rest of the day being cancelled.
She was reported last night to be recovering well but was to remain in hospital until this morning for observation and to recover her strength.
Shortly after 2am yesterday, she started suffering form acute diarrhoea and vomiting, and had to be taken to Praram 9 Hospital, a source close to Yingluck said.
The source said the prime minister and her family had dined at a seafood restaurant near their home in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao area, adding that Yingluck had also separately ordered barbecued shellfish and lemonade.
The hospital’s assistant director, Dr Arthit Jiaranaisilawong, told the media that Yingluck had been admitted at about 3.30am with diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea and fatigue.
The doctor added that it was confirmed that she was suffering from food poisoning but it was not clear whether the seafood was to blame. He also insisted that it was not a flood-borne infection as speculated.
Arthit added that Yingluck was perfectly healthy and not stressed out, though she needed a day or two of rest.
Yesterday evening, Arthit reported that Yingluck had recovered but was fatigued, so she was to stay in the hospital overnight and receive anti-infection drugs and another bottle of saline.
Yingluck was scheduled to go on an official one-day trip to Vietnam this afternoon. If she continues to improve, she should be discharged from hospital today, but it was not yet known whether she would be able to make the trip to Vietnam. The doctors were to examine her condition again at 7.30 this morning, Arthit said.
The prime minister received a vase of flowers and get-well wishes from HRH Princess Somsavali.
The illness forced Yingluck to cancel all appointments yesterday, including the opening of a solar thermal power plant, meeting with members of the Singaporean Cabinet, chairing a meeting to prepare for her visit to Vietnam as well as recording a TV programme about her trip. Yingluck’s deputies stepped in for her in some cases yesterday.
Government spokeswoman Thitima Chaisang said the prime minister also had to skip the weekly Cabinet meeting, which was chaired by the first deputy prime minister, Yongyuth Wichaidit, who later had third deputy PM Chalerm Yoobamrung take over. A source said Yongyuth had Chalerm step in because he had to answer a call of nature.
According to Yongyuth, Chalerm was well versed in every matter and was qualified to lead Cabinet meetings, said the source, who is a Cabinet member. “Though the second deputy prime minister, Kittiratt Na-Ranong, was also present, Yongyuth still gave the job to the third deputy,” the source said.
This is the second Cabinet meeting that Yingluck has missed. The first was on November 15, which she could not attend because she was stranded in Sing Buri, where she was visiting flood victims. Since Yongyuth was also stuck in Sing Buri, the Cabinet session ended up being chaired by Chalerm.
This meeting raised a lot of eyebrows because the key issue on its agenda was amnesty for convicts in commemoration of His Majesty’s 84th birthday on December 5.
The draft was reportedly amended to help Yingluck’s brother – fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra – and her absence was seen as a move to distance herself from the matter.
