According to the Department of Corrections, jailed former premier Thaksin Shinawatra underwent orthopedic surgery on Monday at the Police General Hospital (PGH). It is unknown how long his recuperation will take, but it will likely keep him out of jail for a little longer.
Sahakarn Petnarin, the department’s acting director-general and deputy permanent secretary for justice, stated Wednesday that the Bangkok Remand Prison (BRP) had informed the department of the proceedings.
According to the department, which cited a BRP report, Thaksin had surgery on Monday at 9 a.m. and was then taken to the hospital’s Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at 2 p.m. for recovery.
The length of Thakin’s stay at the PGH will depend on how well he recovers from surgery, according to Mr. Sahakarn.
After returning on August 22 from a 15-year self-imposed exile, the former premier was taken by the BRP to the hospital for a short period. According to the department, Thaksin is one of many prisoners who have been given this much time to undergo medical care outside of custody.
149 prisoners have gotten medical attention outside of prison since October 1 of last year. According to the agency, 115 of them spent more than 30 days outside of custody, 30 spent more than 60 days outdoors, and four were permitted to spend more than 120 days outside.
In the meantime, political activist Srisuwan Janya requested that the Medical Council of Thailand (MCT) investigate allegations that PGH medical staff members assisted Thaksin in fabricating ailments to allow him to remain free.
Mr. Srisuwan stated that he wants the MCT to ascertain whether the medical assessments of Thaksin’s ailments that led to the granting of an extended stay at the PGH adhere to professional standards.
