Nearly 2,000 Thai traditional medicine practitioners will be temporarily disqualified following the Public Health Ministry's decision that their medical licences, certified by Thai traditional committee, are not valid.
Dr Visith Tangnaphakorn, deputy directorgeneral of the Health Service Support Department, said the medical licences of 1,944 Thai traditional medicine practitioners, who graduated this year from Thai traditional medicine educational institutes, had been signed by the chairperson of the Thai traditional committee.
He had already been disqualified by the 1999 Medical Licensing Act after being bankrupted by the Bankruptcy Central Court.
"Any legal documents signed by the chairperson of Thai traditional committee would be invalid by law," he said.
According to the 1999 Medical Licensing Act's article 10, a bankrupted person is not allowed a position on a professional medical committee.
He said the department had sent letters to the Thai traditional medicine practitioners that their certification was now invalid.
However, the department is studying the qualification of the chairperson of Thai traditional committees.
If the Ministry confirms irregularities with his qualification, the Ministry will ask the Thai traditional committee to confirm a new properly qualified chairperson and issue fresh certification for the practitioners.
The department has instructed its legal division to look into taking legal action against the traditional committee chairperson as his action may have damaged the department.
In a related development, Public Health Minister Pansiri Kulanartsiri said the ministry will send 700 Thai traditional medicine practitioners who hold a bachelor's degree to work providing traditional treatment to patients.
The Ministry plans to establish a prototype Thai traditional medicine hospital in each region across country to provide medical services such as spas, massages, and herbal food.
