Officials take action on missing hospital drugs
Authorities are taking action against those involved in the embezzlement of medicines containing pseudoephedrine from state hospitals amid concerns that the medications might be used to produce methamphetamine.
In Udon Thani, police are trying to track down Somchai sae Khow, a 41-year-old pharmacist based at Udon Thani Hospital.
He is accused of embezzling 65,000 pseudoephedrine-containing tablets from the hospital.
Somchai has been on the run since the alleged embezzlement came to light. The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) ordered the seizure of Bt7 million cash in Somchai’s bank account, as well as his car.
“We have found that he has also held shares in Udon Thani Hospital’s Co-operative, and they are worth more than Bt3 million,” Udon Thani police station superintendent Colonel Kowit Jarernwattanasak said yesterday.
Somchai Bhaesaj pharmacy, which was established by Somchai, remains open. His mother owns and operates the shop.
Asked where her son was, she said: “I don’t know. But I believe he will turn himself in to police for sure.”
The mother said her son should not be held solely responsible for all the missing medicines, as she believed other people were involved.
According to Kowit, Udon Thani Hospital reported that more than 37.6 million pseudoephedrine-containing tablets had gone missing during the past three years.
“More officials will be summoned for questioning,” Kowit said.
Meanwhile, Kalasin Governor Somsak Suwansujarit instructed police and public-health officials to pursue seriously those involved in embezzling medicine.
“If officials are found guilty, their punishment will be harsher” than what other convicts would face, Somsak said.
He was speaking after an investigation revealed that up to 356,535 Actifed tablets went missing from Kamalasai Hospital. Actifed is a cold medicine containing pseudoephedrine.
“Each tablet can be used to produce three or four tablets of methamphetamine or [a quantity of] crystal meth,” Kalasin public-health chief Dr Pisit Uawongkoon said.
He said that apart from Actifed, some other medicines had also gone missing from the hospital.
“I have launched a probe against three officials, all of whom have been transferred out of the hospital,” Pisit said.
Kalasin police chief Pol Maj-General Kanisorn Noynart said evidence clearly suggested that officials responsible for medicine inventory must have been involved.
“But we have to determine which ones,” he said. “Financial transactions of suspects will be cross-checked.”
He said the National Police Office and ONCB would be asked to investigate the case jointly.
