HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn yesterday paid a royal visit to the medical staff and patients at Chulalongkorn Hospital after the facility resumed some of its services.
The hospital suspended its operations after hundreds of redshirt protesters raided its buildings on April 29, and only resumed some of its services after the red shirts vacated the area near the hospital on Rajdamri Road and removed the bunkerlike structures they had put up to block the road.
Chulalongkorn Hospital director Dr Adisorn Patradul said yesterday that the princess walked through all the hospital's buildings to speak to the staff and patients.
"She was worried about the patients' comfort and the safety of members of the staff," he said. "She also urged the hospital to start operating fully to attend to patients awaiting treatment."
The hospital estimated that more than 1,000 outpatients with scheduled appointments could only be prescribed with medication while the Phor Por Ror building was closed. The building was reopened yesterday and doctors started treating patients as per normal.
The hospital has also been bringing back inpatients transferred to other hospitals last week, provided they are not in a critical condition. So far, about 50 patients have returned to Chulalongkorn Hospital.
"We will not transfer patients who are critically ill," Adisorn confirmed.
As of yesterday, the hospital was considering reopening its special clinics and providing services from 4pm to 8pm if the situation around the hospital remained calm.
Adisorn said he expected the hospital could resume all its services next week.
In a related development, director of the Thai Red Cross Aids Research Centre, Professor Dr Praphan Phanuphak, said the Anonymous Clinic had resumed its services for people living with HIV.
The clinic will be open from 7am to 4.30pm, and if the situation returns to normal, services will be available until 7pm. At present, the clinic only provides blood tests and antiretroviral drugs.