Hospital denies rejecting red shirts

Hospital director Dr Chaiwan Charoenchoktawee said the reports were untrue.

Red-shirt protesters, who are loyal to fugitive ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, blocked access to Parliament on Monday to prevent Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government delivering its policy statements. But yesterday the government met at the Foreign Ministry instead. On learning about the change in venue, the mob decided to surround the ministry but some were injured trying to push through police lines.

The hospital director made a statement after a protest leader declared on stage that doctors at Vajira Hospital were refusing to treat protesters. Hosts of community radio stations - red-shirt allies - repeated the claims on air.

Chaiwan said nine red-shirt protesters, mostly women, came to the hospital seeking treatment for fatigue. He said the doctors checked their pulse and even sent some for an x-ray.

Doctors said they were tired due to lack of sleep, and some were given medication, while one had to be admitted.

"Our data shows that they were treated, so claims that they were refused treatment are groundless," Chaiwan said. "One female protester claimed she had a gold healthcare card, which allowed her access to free service, but failed to come up with the required documents. Still, our doctors compromised by not asking for the documents."

The director said he doubted the claim about his doctors refusing to treat the protesters stemmed from this incident.