Medical Council to investigate patient's death

Kaneungnit Boonkiatibutr, 59, died on January 20 at Phatara Thonburi Hospital, in Pathum Thani province, where she received an operation to implant a second stent in her heart. 

Her first stent operation at Samut Prakarn’s Chularat 3 Hospital in December last year was successful. 

However, she was told she needed to be transferred to the other hospital. 

“My family has lodged complaints with various agencies,” Kaneungnit’s younger brother Anawat Boonkiatibutr said.

He said Phatara Thonburi Hospital claimed his sister succumbed to kidney failure despite the fact that she had never had kidney problems before. “We can’t believe the hospital’s explanation,” Anawat said.

Kanuengnit was among the many heart-disease patients who seek treatment under the universal coverage (UC) healthcare scheme. By exercising her right under the scheme, she could get the stent or the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for free and the hospital providing each such operation could receive reimbursement of Bt85,000. 

Last week, Kaneungnit’s family headed to the National Health Security Office (NHSO) – which manages the scheme – to complain about her death. 

According to the family, her death had raised several suspicions, particularly the fact that she was told her case had suddenly been transferred from Chularat 3 Hospital to Phatara Thonburi Hospital. 

“Someone called my sister, saying Chularat 3 Hospital did not have a bed for her. She was told she could get the operation at Phatara Thonburi Hospital instead. So, she went there,” Anawat said.

He said his sister was initially scheduled to undergo the second PCI at Chularat 3 Hospital on January 28. But someone called and told her she would have the operation at Phatara Thonburi Hospital instead.

“After the second PCI, she vomited. But her doctor said that was a common symptom and she would recover. But in the end, she died,” Anawat said. 

NHSO spokesman Atthaporn Limpanyalert said his agency had set up a subcommittee to investigate if the transfer of the patient was legitimate.

“So far, the preliminary investigation reveals that Phatara Thonburi Hospital is qualified to provide such treatment,” he said, “It has been a heart centre for about a year already. Over the period, it has handled about 100 PCI cases”. 

Tares Krassanairawiwong, deputy director-general of the Health Service Support Department, said his agency had also launched a probe. 

“The probe shows Chularat 3 Hospital initially did not know that the patient underwent the PCI at another hospital. 

It’s very likely that a doctor who worked previously at Chularat 3 Hospital might have played a role in the transfer,” Tares said. 

Prior to that, a representative of Phatara Thonburi Hospital gave an interview to a TV station explaining that the doctor treating Kaneungnit had joined the hospital after resigning from Chularat 3 Hospital. 

That doctor, the hospital said, had decided to bring along patients under her care.