Doctors are keeping Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in hospital overnight for observation after finding an abnormality while examining his swollen right hand on Saturday.
Gen Prayut sought treatment at Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok after returning from an inspection and merit-making trip to Ayutthaya on Friday with severe swelling and infection in his hand.
While no official statement has been released by the Prime Minister’s Office or the hospital, initial reports indicated his right hand is inflamed and doctors have placed him on antibiotics due to the discovery of an unidentified irregularity. He was admitted to the facility for one night for close observation.
Aides to the Prime Minister were seen taking his clothes and other personal items to him on Saturday afternoon. The personal vehicle of his wife Naraporn Chan-o-cha was parked at the hospital since his arrival and has not left the premises since his admission.
Additional reports indicated that the inflammation in Gen Prayut’s hand resembles a common symptom associated with pseudogout, the buildup of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD). The condition manifests in a fashion similar to gout but is not caused by an excess of uric acid in the blood.
CPPD is a form of arthritis that can cause pain, stiffness, tenderness, redness, warmth and swelling in some joints. It commonly affects the knees and wrists.
Symptoms are often relieved within 24 hours after beginning treatment with anti-inflammatory medications.
