A tourist died after a hospital allegedly turned him away because it was concerned he would leave a large bill.
Andy Chen, 41, was left to die in a van on the roadside in Bangkok, Thailand, following a hit-and-run on December 8.
The Taiwanese tourist, also named Di-Long Chen in his passport, separated from a group of 18 other tourists shortly before the incident.
A missing person’s report was filed when he failed to return that night.
An unnamed driver, aged 51, turned himself into police and faces charges for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Volunteer paramedics revived Andy before he was rushed to the nearby Vibraham Hospital.
But the nurse supervisor shouted at the paramedics for bringing him.
The nurse can be heard saying in a video: ‘We told you we weren’t accepting patients, so why would you bring him here? He is a foreigner, has no relatives, we don’t know how to seek reimbursement of his medical bills. Why don’t you take him to a nearby public hospital?’
The paramedic replied: ‘It’s in your hospital area now. If you don’t accept him, you wait until the health ministry deals with you.’
A second paramedic said: ‘So you don’t accept the patient, right? This is a patient who is being given CPR. The hospital is not accepting patients.’
Paramedics took Andy to a state hospital 10km away but he died because they got stuck in traffic.
Vibraham Hospital is now being investigated by authorities because they have previously turned away other patients.
Dr Sura Wisetsak, director-general of the Health Service Support Department, said an unconscious patient is eligible for treatment.
He warned the doctors could be jailed.
Dr Wisetsak said: ‘Hospital staff found guilty of refusing to provide emergency treatment to a patient in danger could face imprisonment of up to two years, a fine of up to 40,000 baht, or both.’
A tourist assistance centre has been established to help Andy’s family.
The Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients states ’emergency patients are ensured of their full accessibility to essential and safe emergency medical care at government and private hospitals without having any conditions or service fee being charged on the patients within the first 72 hours of their first admission or until their conditions are fit for being transferred to their registered hospitals.
‘Following their treatment, hospitals can reimburse service fees being stated in a regulated fee for service or fee schedule from healthcare schemes that the patients are entitled to.’
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