Police arrested a drug addict for repeatedly stealing medical equipment from a hospital in the central province of Ratchaburi. The suspect claimed he needed money to care for his bedridden father.
Orrawan Saleesawat, Director of Ban Kong sub-district Hospital in Photharam district, reported the thefts to the community leader, who later passed the case to Photharam Police Station officers.
According to Orrawan, the thefts came to light when a hospital maid discovered medical items scattered on the floor of a storage room. The room, normally kept tidy for urgent medical use, raised immediate suspicions.
The maid reported the discovery to the director, which prompted a search by hospital staff. They soon found the suspect, 43 year old Worrachan, inside an abandoned house near the hospital.
The suspect was allegedly sorting through the stolen medical tools and stripping copper wire from electrical appliances. Hospital staff detained him at the scene and called the police.
Orrawan revealed that many of the hospital’s medical staff were familiar with Worrachan, as they had previously treated both him and his bedridden father. He and his father had been living in the abandoned house, and the hospital had regularly provided them with food, necessities, and medical care.
The hospital director admitted that she had long suspected Worrachan of theft but had lacked sufficient evidence until the latest incident.
Police seized a large number of stolen items, including electric wheelchair motors, refrigerator motors, fan motors, electrical wiring, stainless steel carts, air-conditioning components, medical scissors, and a suture set. Additional stolen medical items were recovered from the suspect’s residence.
Worrachan confessed, saying he had planned to sell the stolen items to buy drugs and to support his father.
He now faces several charges, including:
- Section 335(10) of the Criminal Law: theft of property used or kept for public benefit, punishable by imprisonment of one to five years and a fine of 20,000 to 100,000 baht.
- Section 362 of the Criminal Law: trespassing and interfering with another person’s property, punishable by imprisonment of up to one year, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both.
He also faces penalties for drug use, though details of these charges were not disclosed.
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