Bangkok: The Minister of Justice has announced a need to review the regulations governing the transfer of inmates for medical treatment outside of prisons. This review is aimed at ensuring greater clarity and preventing incidents similar to one that occurred on the 14th floor.

According to Thai News Agency, Pol. Lt. Gen. Ruttaphon Naowarat, the Minister of Justice, emphasized the importance of basing decisions on a doctor’s opinion rather than a nurse’s, and highlighted that no advance referrals should be issued. The Minister addressed this order to improve existing regulations, which have been in place for an extended period.

When questioned about future procedures for transferring inmates for medical treatment, Pol. Lt. Gen. Rutthaphon stated that decisions would now only be made following thorough medical assessments. This marks a change from the previous practice of relying on nurses’ opinions.

Further inquiries into the process of issuing health examination certificates for referral were addressed by Pol. Lt. Gen. Rutthaphon, who clarified that such certifications must be conducted on the spot, as prior practices of issuing referrals in advance have been identified and need to be discontinued.