Thai Medical Council suspends doctors over Thaksin's hospital treatment

Thailand's Medical Council has suspended the medical licenses of two doctors and issued a formal warning to a third in connection with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's hospital stay during his prison sentence. The Council found insufficient evidence to support claims that Thaksin was critically ill, which had been used to justify his transfer from a detention center to a private hospital room. The doctors were disciplined for issuing medical certificates and documents that contained false or unsupported information about his condition. The decision, made by a majority vote of the Medical Council, now awaits final approval from the Minister of Public Health, Somsak Thepsutin, who is affiliated with the governing Pheu Thai Party led by Thaksin's daughter. The investigation was conducted by an ad hoc subcommittee formed to address ethical concerns about Thaksin's treatment, amid public suspicion of special treatment linked to political developments. Officials emphasized that the Medical Council's findings are based strictly on medical evidence and professional standards, without influence from external factors or the patient's identity.