On May 28, Associate Professor Dr. Smith Srisont, a forensic pathologist at the Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, and a member of the Medical Council, posted on Facebook to clarify criticisms regarding the Medical Council’s document submission to Somsak Thepsuthin, Minister of Public Health, in his role as the Special President of the Council. Allegations were made that the Council failed to provide complete documentation when additional materials were requested for the committee reviewing the case under Section 25 of the Medical Profession Act B.E. 2525, prior to the Special President’s decision on whether to endorse the Medical Council's resolution to penalize three doctors involved in the treatment of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on the 14th floor of the Police Hospital.
The post explained the current controversy, aiming to correct public misunderstanding about the Medical Council.
Did the Medical Council fail to send complete documents to the Special President?
The answer: Not true. The Medical Council submitted documents related to the resolution, including all procedural records from the complainant's petition, collected evidence, opinions from the ethics subcommittee, investigation subcommittee, screening subcommittee, and the Council’s final opinion, totaling 95 pages. Additionally, over 1,500 pages of supporting evidence such as medical records and testimonies were also provided.
However, the team appointed by the Special President requested the names of the screening subcommittee members and minutes from their meetings.
The Medical Council declined to provide these, arguing they were not part of the resolution and questioning the necessity of the request, since the 95-page document already included the subcommittee’s opinion.
The screening subcommittee is not stipulated in the Medical Profession Act but was created by Medical Council regulations to assist in case reviews. Ultimately, the Medical Council makes the final decision.
In essence, when determining whether to penalize a physician, the focus should be on the Council’s opinion and the evidence used—not on subcommittee opinions. Therefore, any additional queries should pertain to the evidence the Council used to reach its decision, rather than claiming that incomplete documents were submitted.