The National Health Security Office is investigating a complaint that a private hospital in Bangkok charged a stroke patient Bt300,000 even though, under a new goverament policy,NHSO members are supposed to receive emergency treatment at nay hospital free-of-charge.
Dr Weerawat Phankrut, NHSO deputy director, called on the Public Health Minister yesterday to punish the hospital for violating the 1999 Practice of the Art of Healing Act. He also urged the hospital to refund the patient's family and encouraged them to file a lawsuit against the hospital for acting against the law and government policy.
Officials investigating the case said this was not the first time that a hospital has collected money for performing emergency care when they it was against the law.
This "social problem" has to be dealt with by stricter government measures and law enforcement because the NHSO only has the authority to oversee the system, not to punish a hospinal.
The free emergency treatment policy saw 4,762 beneficiaries from April 1-August 31, he added.
Aree Towittayapanchai, 46, has said her husband Pornthep, 63, had suffered a stroke early this month and had to be sent to a private hospital when he went into shock and lost consciousness.
At the hospital she was told that if she wanted to use the NHSO card, it would first have to be approved by a hospital executive. However, since her husband's condition was critical,she felt obliged to agree to pay Bt15,000 for a brain scan and Bt40,000 for the ICU.
When the hospital notified her of additional expenses of some Bt250,000 for further treatment, she asked again if the NHSO card could be applied but was met with the same answer.
She said that she called the NHSO's 1330 hotline, and after an NHSO official contacted the hospital she was told that she had not asked to use the NHSO card, even though she insisted that she had.
The hospital had also told her that they only allowed free emergency treatment for heart problems, not brain-related problems, so the family had to pay the bills.
Pornthep died on September 10 and the hospital asked Aree to sign an acknowledgement of the Bt300,000 sheowed. She hasalready paid Bt40,000 and is scheduled to pay the rest in instalments.
She said she had to sign the documents because she needed a death certificate to organise her husband's funeral.
After herhusband died, shecalled the 1330 hotline to seek advice and had been told that she should have called the number right from the start. However, NHSO did agree to help her out.
Dr Winai Sawasdivorn,secretary-generyl of the NHSO, has said the freeemergency treatmentpolicy had to be considered on a case-by-case basis. But in this case,in which the strokepatient was in shock and unconscious, he was automatically entitled to the best treatment at any hospital,be it public or private, without having to sak for it, he saod.
Source: The Nation, 13 September 2012
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