Lopburi: Luang Por Alongkot spoke openly for the first time since resigning as abbot of Wat Phra Bat Nam Phu, insisting that he will not run away from life and will continue to fight. Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry led a team to Lopburi to inspect the well-being of Wat Phra Bat Nam Phu patients, emphasizing that he only came to see and listen, not to mention that he was bullying anyone.
According to Thai News Agency, Luang Por Alongkot, who disappeared yesterday and was eventually found by reporters late last night, stated his reason for resigning from his position as abbot of Wat Phra Bat Nam Phu Temple, saying it was to allow investigators to thoroughly investigate and put his mind at ease. He personally sought sympathy, stating that Luang Por is only a human being and did not wish to say much. Regarding the news, which is a personal matter, if he had to guess, he believed someone was trying to overthrow him. He sought sympathy, especially for the sick, as some are homeless and do not know who will take care of them if something happens. He confirmed that Luang Por is still fighting and is still here.
Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Thanakrit Jit-areerat, Secretary to the Minister of Public Health, revealed after a meeting with the Lopburi Provincial Public Health Office and relevant officials regarding patient care at Wat Phra Bat Nam Phu that they had listened to all aspects of patient care, hospice care, and cannabis cultivation related to Wat Phra Bat Nam Phu. All matters must be investigated on-site. For example, regarding the care of HIV-infected individuals who are not registered as a hospital, an assessment must be made to determine whether admitting patients with more than 100 beds qualifies as a hospital. Regarding cannabis cultivation, it must be determined whether the grower is in the group that submitted the application and whether he or she is related to the foundation's board.
Regarding the establishment of various foundations, police and relevant officials will need to investigate further to determine whether they meet their objectives. She emphasized that this visit was not intended to harass anyone, as the temple itself benefits the public. However, information from the provincial public health office indicates that there are thousands of AIDS patients in the area, but only a few hundred remain at the temple. The future remains to be seen whether the new abbot will continue the work. If he refuses, coordination will be made with the area to continue caring for the patients. In cases where patients can care for themselves, they may be given antiretroviral drugs and their relatives will be contacted to take them back to care for them.