The Health Service Support Department (HSSD) this morning filed a lawsuit against Praram 2 Hospital for allegedly turning away 38-year-old acid attack victim Chorladda Tarawan and contributing to her death.
At about 10:30am, representatives of the HSSD travelled to Tha Kham Metropolitan Police Station in Bangkok to begin the prosecution of two parties they believe were responsible for not ensuring the victim received proper treatment, reported Khaosod.
Praram 2 Medical Group Co., the hospital’s administrator, is facing charges for violating hospital ethics and standards as well as wrongfully transferring the patient, a violation of the rules and procedure outlined in the 1998 Medical Facilities Act.
Dr. Pira Kananuwat, meanwhile, whose name is on the hospital license and who is reportedly responsible for the facility’s operations, is facing the same two charges plus an extra one for allowing medical practitioners to illegally violate professional standards.
Chatri Pinnai, legal adviser to the HSSD, explained that this lawsuit is the conclusion of HSSD’s investigation into Praram 2’s treatment of Chorladda.
The alleged acid-attack incident occurred on Nov. 10, when Chorladda’s 50-year-old husband, Kamton Singhanart, allegedly splashed acid on her face in a fit of jealousy — leaving Chorladda’s panicked 12-year-old daughter to rush her mom to the hospital.
While the driver was directed to go to Bangmod Hospital in Chom Thong district, a public facility, he took the pair to the considerably closer Praram 2 Hospital after observing the severity of Chorladda’s condition.
Upon arrival, however, staff at the private facility allegedly performed first aid on Chorladda, then decided her condition was not serious enough to demand immediate treatment and called the pair a cab to take them to Bangmog Hospital.
In an interview with local outlet Sanook, a hospital administrator insisted that they were only following Chorladda’s own request to receive treatment at the public hospital, where she could use her medical welfare coverage, a claim hotly disputed by her family.
And let’s face it, even if she had asked to move, it would have been out of monetary concerns, something that could have been overridden by hospital staff aware of the severity of her condition.
Of course, that never happened. Chorladda died during the second cab ride.
Kamton, the husband, was later arrested at a friend’s house in northern Nakhon Sawan on Nov. 12, and is reportedly being held at Thonburi Remand prison ahead of his eventual trial.
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