Health Ministry: Ang Thong Hospital Care Met Standards, Meal Held Near ICU Inappropriate
Health Ministry officials confirmed that medical care at Ang Thong Hospital's neonatal ICU met standards, but deemed a meal function held in the ward itself inappropriate and in violation of infection-control protocols.
On July 27, 2569, at the Ministry of Public Health, Permanent Secretary Dr. Somruks Jungsaman provided updates on the investigation into a meal function held near the neonatal ICU at Ang Thong Hospital. The ministry ordered provincial health officials to examine the matter, with the provincial health office establishing an investigation committee the previous week after the incident came to light. The case has been divided into two parts: medical treatment and the meal arrangement held in the ward.
Dr. Somruks explained that a committee was formed to review the medical treatment aspect. As a pediatrician himself, he confirmed that the infant's care—from diagnosis through death—followed standard medical protocols. Neonatal ICU patients are kept in incubators, and any interaction with them requires staff to wash hands, wear gloves, open the incubator, perform the procedure, and then close it again; these are standard infection-control measures.
"The room is a neonatal ICU, but a meal function was held there," Dr. Somruks said. "Standard practice at all inpatient facilities—whether general or ICU wards—is to have staff eat meals outside the patient care area so they can closely monitor patients." He noted that the meal was apparently organized to mark the transfer of outgoing and incoming pediatricians, which resulted in activities outside the designated area. While details remain unclear, he described the arrangement as inappropriate and warranting an investigation expected to conclude by Friday, July 31.
When asked about potential penalties, Dr. Somruks said he preferred to await the investigation results before speculating. The meal event involved the entire pediatrics department—typically comprising two to three doctors and ten to fifteen nurses—and he emphasized that ICU wards have strict operational standards designed for patient safety and infection control. "This likely will not result in revocation of professional licenses, but holding a meal function in an ICU is inappropriate. We need to see the specific details of how it was conducted," he concluded.
