A major healthcare scandal is rocking Thailand as the Ministry of Public Health cracks down on 16 clinics accused of defrauding the country’s universal health scheme out of nearly 30 million baht.
Yesterday, July 15, Thanakrit Chitareerat, Secretary to the Minister of Public Health, revealed he had personally inspected several clinics in Sakhon Nakhon’s Song Dao district as part of an urgent investigation into the alleged scam.
The probe centres on fraudulent claims submitted under the Universal Coverage Scheme, commonly known as the gold card, which provides free or low-cost healthcare to millions of Thais.
According to Thanakrit, the National Health Security Office (NHSO) of Udon Thani, the agency responsible for the region, received complaints that 16 clinics had falsely claimed a staggering 29,148,690 baht in reimbursements.
“The NHSO cannot overlook actions that undermine public confidence in the gold card system,” Thanakrit said. “This misconduct affects the reputation of the healthcare services upon which the people rely.”
Officials have given the clinics just seven days to repay the funds or face legal action.
Thanakrit warned that if the clinics fail to comply within the deadline, the ministry will take swift steps to prosecute those responsible.
“The NHSO must conduct rigorous investigations and follow-up actions to protect citizens’ rights and ensure transparency in the universal healthcare system,” he said.
Officials believe the fraudulent claims have caused significant financial damage to a programme meant to safeguard vulnerable Thais.
While the ministry has not publicly named the clinics involved, local reports suggest that investigators are gathering further evidence to determine whether any criminal networks or officials were complicit in the scheme.
The scandal has sparked outrage among health advocates, who fear the misconduct could erode public trust in the gold card system, which millions rely on for everything from routine check-ups to life-saving treatment, reported The Nation.
Thanakrit pledged that the NHSO will monitor the case closely to ensure justice is served and to prevent similar fraud in the future.
“We will not tolerate any actions that compromise the integrity of public healthcare,” he said.
As the deadline for repayment looms, pressure is mounting on the accused clinics to come clean—or prepare for a legal showdown that could send shockwaves through Thailand’s medical community.
The story Thai clinics exposed in massive gold card fraud scandal as seen on Thaiger News.
