Bangkok: Dr. Tul Sitthisamwong has publicly challenged the authority of the Public Health Ministry following a request from the Minister's secretary to investigate a controversial LINE chat. He asserts that the chat, which has raised ethical concerns about medical professionals, is a private group chat and not associated with the Medical Council. According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Kittikorn Lohsuntorn, Secretary to the Minister of Public Health, filed a memorandum with the Technology Crime Suppression Division to probe the ethical conduct of medical professionals regarding messages exchanged in a LINE group. These messages were alleged to have shown bias in the medical treatment of Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra. The request for investigation originated from a complaint by Mr. Chawaphon Kamolkanawut to Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin, urging a review of the ethics of the involved medical practitioners. Dr. Tul Sitthisamwong clarified that the Minister of Public Health, Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin, lacks the jurisdiction to assess the ethics of medical professionals or members of the Medical Council. He stated that the Medical Council is solely responsible for evaluating the ethics related to medical practices and not other legal violations such as fraud or theft. These are considered under civil and criminal laws, which are outside the purview of the Medical Council. Dr. Tul emphasized that the problematic chats were not part of the Medical Council's official group. They were personal exchanges involving a doctor who is not a council member. He argued that any complaint should be directly filed by Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra, the alleged victim, and not by the Ministry of Public Health. Furthermore, the Technology Crime Suppression Division's role is to address technology-related criminal offenses, not ethical evaluations of LINE chats or Medical Council matters. He also noted that even if a Medical Council member participated in the chat, they did so as an individual, not in their official capacity. Dr. Tul criticized Mr. Thanakrit Chit -Areerat, Assistant Minister of Public Health, for bringing a private chat into the public domain, describing it as a breach of etiquette. Upon reviewing the Medical Council's LINE group, it was found that the messages were forwarded from another group of doctors and public members supporting a previous resolution by the Medical Council. This resolution was challenged and vetoed by Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin, leading to the current controversy. Dr. Tul affirmed that the Medical Council's consideration of Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra's treatment was based solely on evidence from witness testimonies and official documents, without bias. The council determined that there was no empirical evidence to suggest Mr. Thaksin was critically ill, contradicting claims that he required ongoing treatment at the Police General Hospital. In conclusion, Dr. Tul reiterated that the Minister of Public Health is only authorized to oversee medical professionals within the ministry and has no jurisdiction over the Medical Council of Thail and. The contentious chat did not influence the Medical Council's decision-making process, he added.
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