ID :
119731
Sat, 05/01/2010 - 17:49
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/119731
The shortlink copeid
Red Shirt protesters dismantle blockade at entrance of Chulalongkorn Hospital
BANGKOK, May 1 (TNA) - Thailand's anti-government protesters on Saturday afternoon agreed to dismantle their barricade at the entrance of Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn Hospital which they stormed two days ago, leading to an evacuation of patients to other hospitals.
The hospital said removal of the blockade was useless now as the hospital has temporarily ceased providing services to patients following the surprise raid by protesters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) Thursday night.
Talks between two top UDD leaders and maverick Maj-Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol ended amicably as they finally agreed to remove the blockade made up of tyres, sharpened bamboo and barbed wire on Ratchadamri Road.
Gen Khattiya, temporarily suspended from duty after criticising his superiors, warned that UDD protesters in the area would reinstall the Red Shirt fortification if government forces attempt to disperse them and that he would “safeguard the area and protesters round-the-clock”.
Charging the hospital director with serving the government, Gen Khattiya said the Red Shirts had not overreacted by entering the hospital on Thursday night to search for armed soldiers because inpatients were evacuated before the protesters stormed in.
No armed soldiers were found inside the hospital, while patients in fact left the hospital to others after the incident took place.
Dr Thirawat Hemajutha at Chulalongkorn Hospital said although the Red Shirts have reopened Ratchadamri Road where the hospital entrance is located, it is meaningless because the hospital has stopped providing services.
He said the hospital is now only advising outpatients where they can buy the medications needed for their treatment.
Dr Thirawat stressed that the evcuation of patients was not related to political issues but the hospital was corcerned for the safety of the patients.
If there was emergency incident or bomb attack, the hospital staff could manage to escape but the patients could not do the same, he said.
UDD leader Jatuporn Prompan said earlier that his group feared that Chulalongkorn Hospital might use the patients’ as propaganda pawns for the government to disparage the demonstrators and said he considered the patient evacuation as “too strong a measure against the Red Shirts”.
The goverment was using the evacuation as a ploy to make the protesters look bad, Mr Jatuporn complained, and the public now has bad feellings against the Red Shirt protesters. (TNA)
The hospital said removal of the blockade was useless now as the hospital has temporarily ceased providing services to patients following the surprise raid by protesters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) Thursday night.
Talks between two top UDD leaders and maverick Maj-Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol ended amicably as they finally agreed to remove the blockade made up of tyres, sharpened bamboo and barbed wire on Ratchadamri Road.
Gen Khattiya, temporarily suspended from duty after criticising his superiors, warned that UDD protesters in the area would reinstall the Red Shirt fortification if government forces attempt to disperse them and that he would “safeguard the area and protesters round-the-clock”.
Charging the hospital director with serving the government, Gen Khattiya said the Red Shirts had not overreacted by entering the hospital on Thursday night to search for armed soldiers because inpatients were evacuated before the protesters stormed in.
No armed soldiers were found inside the hospital, while patients in fact left the hospital to others after the incident took place.
Dr Thirawat Hemajutha at Chulalongkorn Hospital said although the Red Shirts have reopened Ratchadamri Road where the hospital entrance is located, it is meaningless because the hospital has stopped providing services.
He said the hospital is now only advising outpatients where they can buy the medications needed for their treatment.
Dr Thirawat stressed that the evcuation of patients was not related to political issues but the hospital was corcerned for the safety of the patients.
If there was emergency incident or bomb attack, the hospital staff could manage to escape but the patients could not do the same, he said.
UDD leader Jatuporn Prompan said earlier that his group feared that Chulalongkorn Hospital might use the patients’ as propaganda pawns for the government to disparage the demonstrators and said he considered the patient evacuation as “too strong a measure against the Red Shirts”.
The goverment was using the evacuation as a ploy to make the protesters look bad, Mr Jatuporn complained, and the public now has bad feellings against the Red Shirt protesters. (TNA)
