Mother says twins died when hospital denied help

The hospital said however the patient's relatives had asked her to be taken for treatment elsewhere.

Wanna Porkornwong, accompanied by president of the Lawyer's Association of Thailand, Narinpong Jinapak, submitted a complaint to Public Health Minister Wittaya Kaewparadai.

Wanna said on February 22, after a six-month-old pregnancy, she had a labour pains at 4am and went to the hospital, where she registered for maternal care under the social security scheme.

She was sent to an emergency unit where three nurses checked her record and found she was carrying twins. Wanna said the nurses - claiming to be ordered by supervisors - expressed concern she might not be able to afford the Bt100,000 maternity expenses and should go to Bhumipol Hospital for the birth.

After requesting an ambulance, she was told Bhumipol Hospital would not take a patient sent by the private hospital. Wanna and her husband took a taxi to Bhumipol where she gave birth to twins that were still-born.

"If I had given birth at the private hospital, my children would not be dead. I carry social security rights and get maternal care there because I believed in their treatment and was ready to leave my life and children's lives in their care. I want to know the reason why they refused to treat me. Was it because I couldn't afford the bills?" she said.

Adviser to the Minister, Pichet Pattanachote, said he would report the case to the minister to proceed on certain areas involving the ministry, such as the medical institute's operation standards. The inspection into professional ethics of doctors and nurses would be forwarded to the Medical Council of Thailand and the Thailand Nursing Council.

Medical Registration Division acting chief Pattara Jaengsiricharoen, said the division and Social Security Office officials had found from a doctor and nurses that the patient had been told her medical bill would be high because it was a premature childbirth. The patient's relatives said they could not afford it and wished for her to be treated at Bhumipol Hospital. They were told the hospital ambulance would be ready to transport the patient in 30 minutes or more, but they couldn't wait and called a cab.

Pattara said: "The law states clearly that if a patient is hospitalised in emergency care, the hospital must provide treatment until the patient's condition is safe before asking the patient if they want to remain at the hospital or get treatment elsewhere. If the latter is their wish,the hospital must provide an ambulance. If the hospital refuses to treat an emergency case patient, [officials] would face up to one-year imprisonment and a Bt10,000 fine and the patient could ask for compensation from the hospital."