Deja Hospital told to shut for 30 days

Fails to meet standards after owner’s death

The 35-year-old Deja Hospital has been slapped with a 30-day closure order after authorities found it failed to maintain medical service standards following the death of its owner.

The private hospital on Si Ayutthaya Road was suspended from operating by the Department of Health Service Support, which audits hospital quality, after it received complaints about the small number of medical staff, its emergency room shutdown and lights in its building being switched off.

One patient who rushed to the hospital late on Tuesday night with a high fever was stunned when he was told by a security guard that “all doctors and staff left the hospital in a van today, so the hospital cannot provide services”, according to his message posted on a Facebook page named “Deja Hospital”.

The hospital currently does not have enough medical staff as required under the 100-bed hospital standard, said department chief Boonruang Triruangworawat, adding the situation prompted him to immediately order the temporary closure.

Seven patients currently staying at the hospital need to be relocated to other hospitals, he said.

The suspension will last 30 days or until the hospital finds a new director to resume services, Dr Boonruang added.

An initial inspection by the department found the owner and director died about a month ago and the hospital is currently in the process of finding a successor.

According to the hospital’s website, the hospital is operated by Sri Ayut Co Ltd. Its founder, Deja Sukharom, was a doctor and politician who once was the minister of the now-defunct University Affairs Ministry between 1997-98.

“The hospital is seeking ways to resume normal services,” the webpage administrator assured frustrated patients on the same Facebook page.

However, even if the hospital can find a new director, whether the department will allow it to continue operations also depends on whether it can keep its medical services in line with standards, Dr Boonruang said.

People have expressed concerns online over the fate of the hospital. Photos taken inside the hospital were also posted, showing an unusually quiet atmosphere with a small number of staff. An accompanying message quoted a hospital staff member as saying most staff left after they were not paid their salaries, while “the rest seen in the photos are still working because they feel pity for patients”.

The hospital has faced financial woes for some time, which affected its management and staffing, said Social Security Office secretary-general Kowit Sachavisad.

His office is preparing to transfer 40,000 Social Security Fund subscribers listed with Deja Hospital to nearby hospitals to avoid problems when they claim medical welfare under the fund.

Talks with state-run Chulalongkorn and Rajavithi hospitals as well as Vajira and Klang hospitals operated by City Hall are needed and the patient transfer issue should be settled by tomorrow, Mr Kowit said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare is helping 160 hospital employees who have not received their salaries, worth about 10 million baht in total, since December last year.

Officials will ask the hospital to pay the overdue wages within 30 days or it will face legal action, deputy department chief Pathom Phetmani said.