ID :
119657
Sat, 05/01/2010 - 15:35
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http://m.oananews.org//node/119657
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Thailand’s Supreme Patriarch sole patient at Chula Hospital after raid by protesters
BANGKOK, May 1 (TNA) - Ailing Thailand’s Supreme Patriarch, the Sangjaraja, head of the order of Buddhist monks, is now the only patient remaining at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn Hospital as of Saturday -- two days after anti-government protesters stormed the hospital to search for armed soldiers they believed were hiding inside the hospital, hospital director Dr Adisorn Patradul said.
Only doctors and nurses on duty were seen standby at emergency wards while hospital gates were closed for safety reasons, Dr Adisorn said.
Anti-government protesters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) stormed the hospital Thursday night, the first instance ever for such an incident since the hospital was established 96 years ago.
Shortly after the surprise raid during which no armed soldiers were found in the hospital, hospital staff had to either transfer in-patients to other hospitals or ask them to return home. The transfer process of patients was completed Friday.
Dr Adisorn said if UDD protesters could move to Soi Sarasin, less than a kilometre away from outside the hospital gate where they are rallying now, the hospital may reopen its services, but so far the UDD leaders have not given any safety assurances to the hospital so it is necessary for the facility to suspend its service operations.
After the searching incident, the top Red Shirt leaders distanced themselves from responsibility for the intrusion into Chulalongkorn Hospital, saying they had never ordered a search at the hospital.
UDD leader Weng Tojirakarn, himself a medical doctor, said the Red Shirts apologised to the hospital authorities, admitting that the move was inappropriate and offered to help the hospital in some way and promised that no search would occur again.
They also removed the barricade from the entrance of the hospital but the barricade was rebuilt after Army Maj-Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol, a staunch supporter of fugutive ousted premier Thaksin Shinawtra, told the protesters that the removal of barricade at their point would open a way for troops to disperse the protersters.
That UDD key leaders planned to hold talks with the hospital senior officials on Friday night did not take place as the key protesters feared that they would be apprehened since warrants for their arrest had earlier been issued.
Meanwhile, Dr Adisorn said he will not go to the Ratchaprasong rally site to discuss the matter with the demonstrators, saying it would look quite inappropriate. He said the red-shirt leaders should have come to the hospital to talk with him Friday night as arranged by police but they failed to appear.
The hospital has suspended services for outpatients and transferred over 100 patients to other hospitals and discharged most of the patients to recovery at homes.
Most UDD key leaders are now holding the fort at Ratchaprasong intersection, not far from Chulalongkorn Hospital, in front of the Police General Hospital and the Erawan Shrine. They have been demonstrating since April 13, demanding Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve the House of Representatives and fresh general elections. (TNA)
Only doctors and nurses on duty were seen standby at emergency wards while hospital gates were closed for safety reasons, Dr Adisorn said.
Anti-government protesters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) stormed the hospital Thursday night, the first instance ever for such an incident since the hospital was established 96 years ago.
Shortly after the surprise raid during which no armed soldiers were found in the hospital, hospital staff had to either transfer in-patients to other hospitals or ask them to return home. The transfer process of patients was completed Friday.
Dr Adisorn said if UDD protesters could move to Soi Sarasin, less than a kilometre away from outside the hospital gate where they are rallying now, the hospital may reopen its services, but so far the UDD leaders have not given any safety assurances to the hospital so it is necessary for the facility to suspend its service operations.
After the searching incident, the top Red Shirt leaders distanced themselves from responsibility for the intrusion into Chulalongkorn Hospital, saying they had never ordered a search at the hospital.
UDD leader Weng Tojirakarn, himself a medical doctor, said the Red Shirts apologised to the hospital authorities, admitting that the move was inappropriate and offered to help the hospital in some way and promised that no search would occur again.
They also removed the barricade from the entrance of the hospital but the barricade was rebuilt after Army Maj-Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol, a staunch supporter of fugutive ousted premier Thaksin Shinawtra, told the protesters that the removal of barricade at their point would open a way for troops to disperse the protersters.
That UDD key leaders planned to hold talks with the hospital senior officials on Friday night did not take place as the key protesters feared that they would be apprehened since warrants for their arrest had earlier been issued.
Meanwhile, Dr Adisorn said he will not go to the Ratchaprasong rally site to discuss the matter with the demonstrators, saying it would look quite inappropriate. He said the red-shirt leaders should have come to the hospital to talk with him Friday night as arranged by police but they failed to appear.
The hospital has suspended services for outpatients and transferred over 100 patients to other hospitals and discharged most of the patients to recovery at homes.
Most UDD key leaders are now holding the fort at Ratchaprasong intersection, not far from Chulalongkorn Hospital, in front of the Police General Hospital and the Erawan Shrine. They have been demonstrating since April 13, demanding Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve the House of Representatives and fresh general elections. (TNA)
