[Fegasderty]

More than 200,000 cold-treatment pills containing the stimulant pseudoephedrine, a precursor in making methamphetamines, have been reported missing from a hospital in Si Sa Ket, as the public hospital scandal spreads.

Phu Sing Hospital director Kitiphoom Juthasamit said on Thursday he had filed a complaint with Phu Sing Police Station on Thursday officially reporting the tablets were missing.

This followed a visit by Department of Special Investigation (DSI) officials, he said.

DSI officials inspected the hospital's records on Wednesday and found the amount of pseudoephedrine pills in the drug distribution records did not match those shown in the hospital’s purchase order reports. More than 200,000 pills were missing, Dr Kithiphoom said.

The discovery is a result of the DSI's ongoing probe into the smuggling of pseudoephedrine-based cold and allergy tablets stolen from local hospitals to Myanmar, where drug makers use them in the production of methamphetamine.

Si Sa Ket health official Dr Prawi Aumpan said he had reported the issue to governor Prateep Kiratirekha today and proposed an inspection panel be set up to investigate the alleged drug irregularities at the hospital.

DSI officials say an organised pseudoephedrine trafficking network is collecting cold pills in large quantities and smuggling them into Myanmar, and as many as 30 public and private hospitals may be linked to the gang.

Si Sa Ket is the latest province involved in the cold pill trafficking scandal, following Udon Thani, Uttaradit, Chiang Mai and Kalasin.

Udon Thani Hospital director Pichart Dolchalermyutthana last week admitted more than 4,800,0000 pills had gone missing from his hospital alone over the past three years.