Cabinet nod for all hospitals to take emergency patients

All state and private hospitals will be required to accept and treat emergency and accident admissions for up to 72 hours without charge under a new regulation approved in principle by cabinet. (file photo)

The cabinet has approved in principle a regulation requiring all hospitals, state and private, to provide emergency patients with free treatment for the first 72 hours, Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn said on Tuesday.

Dr Piyasakol said the gist of the cabinet resolution is to do away with problems over the cost of medical treatment in cases of emergency.

Under the regulation, private hospitals are required accept patients for emergency treatment without charging them or their relatives for the first 72 hours, before referring them to hospitals where they have the right to medical care.

Details will be explained on March 31, he said. A regulation would be announced and take effect before the Songkran Festival.

The public health minister said he was confident major state-run hospitals in Bangkok and those of the Defence Ministry were now ready to accept patients for emergency treatment.