Action by the ministry came after the prime minister called for cooperation from concerned government agencies to investigate.
Health minister Dr Rajata Rajatanavin said yesterday (May 13) that he has already received a petition from the Thai Medical Error Network which provides evidence from people who have been affected by unfair pricing of medical treatment.
The petition called for the appointment of a new committee to control all charges by private hospitals and to inspect any miscalculation of medical charges.
He said the ministry would review the suggestions while considering all possible approaches to rein in the problems of overcharging reported in treatment bills, medicine bills and diagnosis charges.
The Health Ministry stated that everything will be considered thoroughly due to the fact that the issue is now at the center of people’s attention, which means that the process may be somewhat lengthy.
The Thai Medical Error Network has submitted a petition with 33,000 signatures to the prime minister calling on him to control the medical treatment fees that are charged at private hospitals across the country, claiming they were unreasonably high.
Evidence received by the network showed private hospitals are overcharging their patients.
It then calls for a new committee to be appointed to control the treatment fees and ensure that people are not overcharged for the medical treatment they receive.
She urged the prime minister to invoke Section 44 of the interim charter to dissolve the Medical Council of Thailand (MCT).
The new committee must consist of impartial members who will be able to oversee the fair and reasonable medical costs in private hospitals, as at present most members of the MCT consists of doctors in both private and state hospitals and government officials.
Dr Rajata acknowledged the private hospital overcharging of patients and said an investigation was underway and promised that the issue would be resolved quickly.
Meanwhile the National Reform Council (NRC) held talks on consumer protection rights yesterday and agreed that the medical treatment cost overcharging issue must be dealt with seriously.
See original story here.