On the Frontline

On their arrival at hospital, their condition spoke a great deal about what the victims of the political-violence on the city's streets had just been through.

Their arrival time also reflected what had happened during Bangkok's darkest days.

Just as the military was preparing to deploy troops around Rajprasong Intersection, 21 men were rushed to Lerdsin Hospital with stomach ache and vomiting at 1.15am on May 14. All said their symptoms developed after receiving free coffee from an unidentified donor.

"Eighteen of them needed to be admitted," Lerdsin Hospital's deputy director Dr Boonchai Pipatwanichkul said, "But all patients in the batch were safe".

Boonchai added that dregs of the coffee were sent to the Department of Medical Sciences for examination.

"We think the coffee might have been laced with a heavy dose of soporific drugs," he said.

Later on that day, as many as eight victims were sent to the Lerdsin Hospital for treatment - the early gunshot wound casualties.

"The first arrived at around 3pm," the hospital's deputy director recounted, "He was shot in the left shoulder".

Of the seven other patients, Boonchai said three needed to be admitted for treatment.

On this same day - May 14 - Rajavithi Hospital treated up to 30 riot victims with the first patient registering at 2.30pm.

"All patients coming in on that day were injured in skirmishes at Samliam Din Daeng, Makkasan, Pratunam, and, Rajprarop areas," Dr Naruemon Sawanpanyalerd said in her capacity with the Department of Medical Services based at Rajavithi Hospital.

She said not all patients on May 14 were badly hurt, some arrived with just light injuries to their hands and arms.

"But when night fell, things turned more frightening," Naruemon recounted, "I was at Soi Rajvithi 3 with our mobile emergency unit and I could hear gunshots every now and then".

She said the frequency of hospitalisation was getting higher, as darkness blanketed the capital.

"When midnight passed, we started seeing people with serious wounds," the doctor said. Three victims, including one Naruemon was trying to help with first aid, died at 3am on the way to Rajavithi.

Accounts from Ramathibodi Hospital were pretty similar.

"At 1.53pm on May 14, the first victim arrived at our facility. He was shot in the left foot and in the right shank," the hospital's deputy director Dr Surasak Leela-udomlipi disclosed.

After that, more victims continued to pour in. "The frequency of hospitalisations was getting higher as the clock ticked past 4.30pm," he said.

Surasak said his hospital received the first dead body resulting from the political violence that night. "The victim died before his arrival to the hospital. He had been shot in the neck," the hospital's deputy director said.

On May 15, three more bodies arrived. "Two were shot in the chest while the other was in the head," Surasak said.

Boonchai described May 15 as the most hectic day of all.

"Although not many patients were rushed in, those who did come had critical injuries," he said. Twelve casualties, all in need of urgent operations were sent to Lerdsin Hospital on May 15. Two died upon arrival. And two others succumbed to their injuries, despite medical treatment, later.

"They were shot either in the head, the chest or in the abdomen," Boonchai explained.

As skirmishes continued, the Lerdsin Hospital treated nine more victims on May 16, one of whom died. On the same day, Naruemon said many victims were sent to the Rajavithi Hospital with wounds to their hands and fingers. "Most of them from Samliam Dindaeng," she revealed.

The number of deaths and injuries dropped somewhat in following days.

Even on May 19 when troops surged to the Ratjprasong Intersection, not so many cases flooded into these hospitals.

"On that day, we treated just four victims," Surasak of the Ramathibodi Hospital said. At the Lerdsin Hospital, eight casualties showed up and two were released within the same day.

Naruemon said the Rajavithi Hospital received three to four victims on May 19. "One was a woman and she died from a wound to her leg," the doctor said.

In the wee hours of May 20, two more victims walked in with minor injuries, in addition to four firemen hospitalised for smoke-related symptoms.

In all, Naruemon said her hospital had treated up to 83 riot victims between May 14 and May 20. Of this number, nine people died, ranging in age from 17 to 64 years.

Phyathai 1 Hospital's chief operating officer Kraivin Srikraivin, meanwhile, said 23 victims - including a senior photographer from The Nation- were sent to his facility between May 14 and May 19. Of this number, five died from their injuries.

Kluaynamthai Hospital's director Dr Suwinai Busarakamwongs said the hospital had received 64 people injured from skirmishes in the Bon Kai area during May 14 - 19. Four of them died.

According to Suwinai, most victims sustained gunshot wounds including some facial injuries.

Charoenkrung Pracharak Hospital's acting director Dr Suksan Kittisupakorn said up to 30 victims of the political-violence showed up at his facility between May 14 and May 17, two of whom died. The victims were between 20 and 70 years old. Boonchai said the Lerdsin Hospital had tended to 42 riot casualties between May 14 and May 20.

However, he said the political violence started in April. From that time on, he said Lerdsin Hospital had treated nearly 100 victims at a cost of Bt1.4million.

"A patient needed a shoulder replacement - and that alone cost Bt400,000," he said.

*** Next: The injured's recollection of the nightmarish days.