RATCHABURI — A private hospital in Ratchaburi has dismissed a senior physician after a 30-year-old man died of a heart attack hours after allegedly being diagnosed with a panic attack and denied an electrocardiogram (ECG) requested by his family.
The case drew widespread public attention after the victim’s wife, teacher and influencer Benyaporn Phanphet, known online as “Kru Sai,” shared her story on social media, claiming her husband’s death could have been prevented had he received appropriate treatment.
According to Benyaporn, her husband sought treatment at San Camillo Hospital in Ban Pong district after experiencing severe pain radiating from his arm to his chest, accompanied by excessive sweating. He was reportedly referred between several departments before an orthopedic doctor suspected a heart condition and referred him to a general practitioner.
She alleged that despite the family’s repeated requests for an ECG, the physician declined, saying the symptoms were more likely caused by stress or a panic attack. The family also offered to pay for additional tests or transfer him to another hospital but said their requests were refused.
After returning home, the man collapsed later that evening and died.
An autopsy later found that he had severe coronary artery disease involving two blocked arteries.
The family has filed a formal complaint, seeking an investigation into the medical treatment.
In its first statement issued on Saturday, the hospital suspended the physician, a doctor in his 70s who had worked at the hospital for more than a decade, pending an internal investigation and external reviews by the Medical Council of Thailand and independent experts.
On Sunday, the hospital issued a second statement announcing that the doctor had been dismissed with immediate effect.
The hospital said its internal fact-finding found that the physician had communicated with the patient and relatives using inappropriate and impolite language, violating hospital regulations requiring staff to treat patients respectfully. The conduct was also found to be inconsistent with the Medical Council’s code of professional ethics.
The dismissal took effect on 19 July.
The hospital said it would continue to cooperate with ongoing investigations and provide assistance to the bereaved family, while expressing its deepest condolences and accepting public criticism and recommendations.
