Ratchaburi Hospital in Thailand has been embroiled in a saga after a woman alleged that a hotline operator mocked her, which subsequently led to the death of her father.

Operator mimicked phone's busy signal

A Thai woman, Pronrawin Ongpisut, 18, claimed that she called the hospital's emergency hotline on July 19 at around 7:13am as her father was experiencing chest pain and breathing difficulties, reported Bangkok Post.

Hospital staff said they would send an ambulance soon.

Four minutes later, she called again as the 53-year-old man's condition had worsened.

However, her call was not picked up.

When she called a third time a minute later, a man answered.

According to Khaosod English, Ongpisut said the man told her twice that he was unable to hear her, before imitating a phone line's busy signal with a "beep beep", and then hanging up.

The ambulance eventually arrived at 7:20am.

Ongpisut wrote in a viral Facebook post that she was not angry about the ambulance arriving late, but about how the operator had "teased" her as her father was dying.

Her father subsequently succumbed in hospital to coronary artery disease.

Operator reportedly apologised

The hospital has since denied that any of its operators had mocked Ongpisut.

Pichian Wuthisathirapinyo, director of the hospital, said in a press conference that it was not the intention of the operator at the time to mock her, and was very sorry about the loss of her father.

The director said that Ongpisut might not have heard clearly and misunderstood the operator's words.

He added that the ambulance arrived at Ongpisut's address within seven minutes, faster than the eight minute standard.

Khaosod English reported that the operator attended the funeral of her father and talked to Ongpisut privately about what happened.

She then reportedly revealed that the man apologised, and clarified that what she had heard came from the man saying that he could only hear "beep beep".

Since then, public health minister Anutin Charnvirakul has also vowed to look into the incident.

Top photo from one31 / YouTube