Ms. Patchani Phunsuk, a whistleblower at the center of a case involving medical corruption, has helped uncover a legal network that used taxpayer-funded drugs to benefit a select few while putting public health at risk.
The Veterans General Hospital method was used as a conduit for “fake patients” to sell drugs for improper resale, which has resulted in damages for billions of baht, which has been the focus of the corruption, which has spanned more than a decade.
A “team head” who attempted to enlist Ms Patchani into the operation first approached her.
The scheme was implemented, the leader explained how elderly people who were both really ill and properly healthier were recruited to pose as patients.
They would go to the Veterans General Hospital, fake illnesses, and exchange massive amounts of medication for money. Eventually, these medications were profitable.
Ms. Patchani decided to take action despite being told by her home to stay out of the program out of fear for her protection.
” I chose to observe justice served,” I said. She said,” I wanted to make sure those who were wronged by this system may experience real effects.”
She secretly recorded meetings and documented the operation as she began gathering information.
She also went covertly by posing as a fictitious person to get firsthand evidence. She collected a lot of evidence over the course of a while, including testimony from those involved in the program and movie recordings.
” We as fake people were coached on how to act during medical interviews, and some medical doctors were complicit in prescribing unnecessary treatments,” she said, adding that the drugs ranged from analgesics for bones to liver pills to artificial tears.
Some of the medications were pricey and unaffordably priced, such as those offered by government-sponsored medical programs like the president’s gold card.
Ms. Eang, who served as her recruiter and team leader, organized transportation to travel 40 to 70 fake patients from Lop Buri to Bangkok’s hospital.
Because Lop Buri is one of Thailand’s largest military bases, many of the individuals were soldiers.
One of the “fake individuals,” a 54-year-old person, acknowledged being hired by a military official for the procedure. She collected treatment according to pre-written signs and drug treatments and received payments of between 1, 000 and 1, 500 ringgit each day.
Every day we traveled to Bangkok, we were served greasy or sugary foods on the vehicle. We were instructed to accomplish them before going to the doctor so that our blood test may reveal the signs that required medications,” she said.
Another person recruited into the plan, a 66-year-old man, claimed his neighbor had told him that he could earn typical money in his retirement.
He makes monthly visits to the Bangkok clinics. He had been compensated for returning medication, but he was concerned about the potential legal repercussions of his activities.
We were instructed to hand over our prescriptions to Dr. B, and the doctor may send us a large amount of medicine. However, he said,” I would just read the dosage and get the treatment, even if I saw a different physician,” he said.
According to Ms. Patchani, phony people turned over their staff leader’s medications. The medications were then transported to a laundry facility in a Rama IV apartment where they were kept before being sold on the black market.
According to Ms. Patchani,” the drugs from the Veterans General Hospital were no consumed by the people themselves,” adding that those who need them visit their doctor in Lop Buri for their medications.
She claimed that senior military figures, including a captain known as Ms. Reed, were also involved in the fake patient plan. She said,” Mr Reed is the one who managed the operation and provided obligations to group leaders.”
Despite worries about her health, Ms. Patchani was able to present the evidence to the Armed Forces committee, which led to an exploration into the problem.
After the incident broke, efforts were made to conceal the procedure.
In order to stop information from leaking, Ms Eang contacted staff members, including Patchani, and urged her to destroy data like medical records, talk logs, and SIM cards. However, Ms. Patchani chose to remain silent and rather chose to become a crucial testimony in the case.
The corruption network’s scope, according to Pol Maj Gen Charoonkiat Pankaew, Deputy Commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau ( CIB ), extended far beyond the military and medical personnel.
The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission ( PACC), National Anti-Corruption Commission ( NACC), and the Police Anti-Corruption Division (ACD ) are currently cooperating to investigate the case.
According to Pol Maj Gen Charoonkiat, the investigation is being pursued on many fronts, with some senior officers and medical practitioners being linked to the investigation. Around 600 fraudulent individuals from seven network organizations in Lop Buri were involved, according to the original analysis.
Lop Buri will not be the only subject of the investigation. He said,” We will expand to other provinces or even to other hospitals.”
Ms. Patchani’s actions are being praised as an example of courage and dignity as the investigation progresses. She has urged community members to speak and come forward. ” Don’t been afraid to admit it, if you’ve made a mistake,” Ms. Patchani said to the people involved. And to the group leaders, don’t threaten your crew or defame the truth, because you are deeply aware of what you did.
The effects of this incident are likely to last for years, with legal proceedings beginning to be drafted.
Ms. Patchani has traveled a lengthy, hard road, but she continues to believe that it was the right course of action. The public is eager to hear justice as the investigation progresses, hoping that the healthcare system will experience significant change and accountability. ” I hope this circumstance encourages people to fight against corruption and fight for what’s right,” Ms. Patchani said.
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