Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO), confirmed that he learned of patients fleeing the field hospital only today after one of the doctors providing care for the COVID-19 infected patients there reported it.
“We need to check how many patients have fled the hospital and where they have gone so that we can catch them and bring them back to the hospital. I will report this to superior officers,” Dr Kusak said.
“At the hospital, we have personnel from the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command posted for safety and security,” he added.
Dr Busaya Santisant went public with reporting patients fleeing the field hospital through a post on her Facebook page last night.
“Patients [have] fled the field hospital at PSU. I want to consult superior officers. We, medical staff, cannot handle this. If they flee, can we just close the door and let the police catch them?” Dr Busaya said in her post.
“If those who have fled the hospital have been treated with medication and do not have any symptoms, can we just send them back to do house isolation? Military police who come to stand by [here] cannot give any help, but just inform us,” Dr Busaya added.
Dr Busaya told The Phuket News this morning (Aug 30) that she just wanted to share what had happened at the field hospital and what medical staff are doing, so that reporters or responsible officers could take action.
Christy Sweet | 31 August 2021 - 21:49:12