A large-scale drug theft scheme at War Veterans Hospital has come under scrutiny following allegations by People’s Party MP for Bangkok, Tanadej Pengsuk. The scheme, allegedly orchestrated by both current and former medical personnel, involved manipulating medical test results to secure excess prescription drugs, which were then resold for profit. Authorities, including police and the Comptroller General’s Department, have launched an investigation at the hospital’s request.
According to Tanadej, the network exploited Thailand’s free medical benefits system, which grants civil servants and their families lifetime access to free treatment and prescription medication at public hospitals. Doctors would prescribe the maximum allowable medication, with the costs reimbursed by the government.
The scheme reportedly involved a group of officials from Lop Buri province, who were incentivized with free transportation and a payment of 1,000 baht per visit to undergo medical check-ups at War Veterans Hospital. Chat messages revealed that a doctor advised participants to consume oily and greasy foods and avoid sleep before blood tests, as these factors could lead to abnormal results, justifying larger prescriptions.
Participants were also instructed to request a switch from Pravastatin 40 to alternative statins, citing side effects, to further increase the quantity of drugs obtained. Evidence, including bank transfer slips, suggests that each patient was paid upon delivering the prescribed medication to the ringleaders, who then resold it.
While Tanadej did not specify the total amount generated by the operation, he believes it has been running for several years. Officials and medical personnel implicated in the case are now under investigation.
