Bangkok: The Ministry of Public Health has completed its investigation into two cases involving the application known as "Dr. Phrom," finding no evidence of false claims, but rather attributing the discrepancies to data entry mistakes. The ministry is now working on correcting these errors and investigating all related complaints.
According to Thai News Agency, the investigation was prompted by reports from numerous individuals who, upon checking their medical records on the "Doctor Ready" application, discovered records of medical services they had never received. Concerns arose over potential fraudulent healthcare claims or corruption within the healthcare system.
Dr. Sophon Eiamsirithavorn, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health and chairman of the fact-finding committee, held a press conference alongside Dr. Ekachai Piansriwachara, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Non Jindavej, Provincial Public Health Officer of Pathum Thani, and Dr. Pitakpong Payuha, Provincial Public Health Officer of Roi Et. They emphasized that the investigation extends beyond the "Doctor Ready" application, focusing on the entire data recording and transmission process to identify root causes and implement preventive measures.
Dr. Sophon clarified that the "Mor Prom" application is a system for displaying health information, not recording treatment data. The data is collected by hospitals and service units before being uploaded to a central database. The application, which was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been expanded to include other health data and now serves as a central public health information repository.
In the first case from Roi Et province, it was found that a mix-up occurred due to a data entry error involving patients with similar names, leading to the incorrect swapping of medical records. The local public health office has since corrected the data and improved the system for verifying patient identities to prevent future errors.
The second case from Pathum Thani involved incorrect records of health screenings and medications. The investigation revealed a communication error during a community outreach program, leading to the erroneous inclusion of a complainant's name in the system. However, no financial claims or medication distributions occurred, and the hospital has corrected the data and opened channels for reporting irregularities.
Dr. Sophon assured that the issue was not due to corruption but rather data recording errors. He apologized for the inaccuracies and announced measures to prevent recurrence, urging for clarity within the next week. Complaints will be categorized by area and cause, and further investigations will address potential systemic issues.
Dr. Wijak Kanjanautai, the developer of the Mor Prom application, emphasized that access to health data is limited to service recipients through secure digital ID verification, ensuring no data sharing with healthcare providers or insurance companies.