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The appeal bears the signatures of 500 people suffering from chronic kidney disease.

The two NHSO board members in question are Private Hospital Association president, Dr Auechart Kanchanapitak and secretary Dr Chalerm Harnpanich, who jointly issued a letter on September 2, advising private hospitals nationwide to not sign a deal with the NHSO.

The club is also planning to seek an investigation into Social Security Office chairman, Dr Paiboon Eksangsri, because he also issued a letter recommending private hospitals not to sign contracts with NHSO, he added.

Private hospitals are being advised against the NHSO deal because they would have to shoulder an additional financial burden.

Last year, the NHSO launched a haemodialysis therapy scheme under which hospitals are given a Bt1,000 subsidy, while patients pay Bt500. The scheme should kick off on October 1.

However, Auechart argues that if the price of treatment is reduced to Bt1,500 from Bt1,900 it would affect the quality of services and treatment and ultimately harm patients.

Subin said the scheme was necessary because the 6,500 kidney patients who had registered with the universal health care scheme were stuck with spending up to Bt26,000 a month on medication. So far, 40 per cent of Thailand's private hospitals still have not signed up with the NHSO, which he said would greatly affect patients' access to treatment.

He said he was informed that there are three hospitals in Chaing Mai, Chaing Rai and Nan that have refused to provide dialysis treatment to patients registered with the NHSO. Subin refused to reveal the names of the hospitals involved.

Subin argued that haemodialysis therapy only costs about Bt1,100 per session - Bt600 for the device and Bt500 for the service - and that the quality of the treatment, whether it is for less or more money, stayed the same, so there was no reason for private hospitals to seek more than the Bt1,500 offered by the NHSO.

However, acting Public Health Minister Chavarat Chanveerakul said he would call the NHSO, the Kidney Foundation of Thailand and the Friends of Kidney Patients to further discuss the matter.

Chavarat said the Bt1,500 reimbursement was reasonable enough and that private hospitals should offer this treatment at an affordable price because the number of kidney patients is expected to rise.

"I have told the private hospitals to reconsider the new charges for dialysis treatment. Even though private hospitals need to profit, they should also consider their humanitarian side," he said

"I think there is some misunderstanding between the Private Hospital Association and the patients."