His Majesty the King never stopped working despite his illnesses and had plenty of mental stamina and patience to withstand pain incurred during his medical treatment, according to a doctor who looked after the monarch at Siriraj Hospital.
Thirawat Kulthanant, who headed a team of doctors caring for His Majesty the King at Siriraj, recalled that His Majesty the King worked hard even during his stay at the hospital.
Initially, the King was admitted for treatment of a heart condition and later developed pains in his back, Dr Thirawat said.
As head of a team of orthopaedists responsible for performing surgery to treat the monarch's back pains, he had a chance to look after the King closely, Dr Thirawat said.
The monarch had remarkable mental strength and patience when he underwent surgery, he said.
"His Majesty was very patient [during the treatment]," said Dr Thirawat, also the former dean of the faculty of medicine at Siriraj Hospital.
The King was later given treatment for a lung inflammation caused by infections before suffering from excess cerebrospinal fluid in the brain's ventricles, Dr Thirawat said.
His Majesty the King always followed advice from doctors strictly so as to make a quick recovery and return to work, the doctor said.
When his health improved, the King kept himself up-to-date with news and information regarding the problems confronted by his people so he could think of ways to solve them, Dr Thirawat said.
When the monarch finished his breakfast, he would go to work in a hospital room which overlooked the Chao Phraya River and the Grand Palace, Dr Thirawat said, adding the room also allowed the monarch to see his people from above the top floor of the hospital.
Dr Thirawat also said His Majesty the King once advised a team of doctors looking after him to show goodwill and respect towards others.
"The King said: 'Doctors must be modest and humble. Everyone has their own merits and don't look down upon others," Dr Thirawat quoted the monarch as saying.
At the time, news often emerged of doctors and patients bitterly pursuing lawsuits against each other, so His Majesty wanted them to talk through their problems properly, Dr Thirawat explained.
Meanwhile, doctors and medical personnel at Siriraj Hospital offered alms to monks Thursday as an act of merit-making for His Majesty the King.
After that, they observed nine minutes' silence and chanted the Royal Anthem in honour of the monarch.
Prasit Watthanapa, dean of the faculty of medicine at Siriraj Hospital, said the hospital and its staff were proud of providing medical treatment to His Majesty for more than 20 years, and the passing of the King has brought enormous grief to them.
The time the monarch had spent at the hospital will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by all hospital staff, Dr Prasit said.
"The days His Majesty the King spent at the hospital will remain etched in our memories," he said.
