Dr. Somkid Thepsuthin, Minister of Public Health, told a press briefing that the case of a video clip showing the inappropriate behavior of a doctor toward a nurse at Mae Lao Hospital, Chiang Rai Province, on August 19 is being addressed.
Dr. Somkid said he has ordered all Government Hospitals to be careful of work that may cause problems like this again. He fully understands that medical personnel must work hard and may have accumulated stress, so he is expediting the solution as much as possible.
He has already proposed a plan to increase the number of medical personnel in a cabinet meeting. He confirmed that he is not indifferent to the problem of a shortage of medical personnel because it may impact cases like this one.
Dr. Somkid also revealed that the incident at Mae Lao Hospital in Chiang Rai was caused by a miscommunication, which caused the doctor to have a momentary lapse of reason.
Doctors and nurses may conflict due to many factors, such as the urgency of the work, the public’s expectations, and the workload. Medical treatment must be effective, and the public must receive the highest standard of care.
The hospital director has worked speedily to resolve the problem by providing mental health care to the victim, closely monitoring the situation, thoroughly investigating the facts, and taking disciplinary action against the doctor.
Dr. Somkid said, “Initially, I learned that a phone call was made to assess the symptoms of the injured nurse. It was found that on the first day, she was in shock from the incident, had incoherent thoughts, and was agitated. Currently, her symptoms are improving. She is slightly stressed, can sleep well, has better concentration, and is calmer.
She has received encouragement from her colleagues and management and can return to work as usual. The doctor is currently on leave from duty. He has been initially scheduled to receive an assessment and report the incident further.
He will be transferred to work at another Chiang Rai Hospital. The Ministry of Health has set up a disciplinary investigation committee effective within 90 days. I want to confirm that all parties will be treated fairly in this case,” Dr. Somkid said.
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