According to the petition, the customer protection groups asked the Central Committee on the Price of Goods and Services to include medical treatment as a controlled service to cap the price of medicine, medical equipment and medical services in every hospital and improve the system to submit complaints about overpriced medical services. She revealed that the lack of medical price controls allowed some private hospitals to change the price for medical treatment at their whim and in some cases the price of medicine was more than 400 times the original price, leaving many patients with huge debts. The deputy permanent secretary at the Commerce Ministry, Wichai Phochanakit, said the ministry had not ignored the problem of overpricing for medical treatment. He said the ministry was currently working with the Public Health Ministry to find measures to control the cost of medical services. Wichai insisted that the duty to oversee the price of medical treatment lies with the Public Health Ministry, but he promised that the Commerce Ministry would help the Public Health Ministry on related tasks.

Source: The Nation Bangkok May 11, 2018 18:00 UTC