Hospital Punished for Inviting COVID Vaccine Reservations

[webfact]

 

BANGKOK, March 29 (TNA) – The Department of Health Service Support launched legal action against a private hospital in Samut Sakhon province for illegally advertising its COVID-19 vaccination service.

 

Dr Tares Krassanairawiwong, director-general of the department, said the private hospital invited reservations for COVID-19 vaccine inoculation through social media without permission and the advertisement misled general people.

 

The department through the provincial public health office of Samut Sakhon ordered the hospital to remove the advertisement on March 27 pending other legal action.

 

Source: https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-664499

 

 

-- © Copyright TNA 2021-03-29

 

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[Pib]

 

Well, the article said what the punishment "could be" but didn't say any actual punishment had been hand down....article just says legal action is beginning.  Expect when the "legal action" completes (if it ever really begins) the hospital will be let off with a verbal warning and any monetary fine waived as This Is Thailand.

Quote

The offense carried a fine of up to 20,000 baht plus a daily fine of up to 10,000 baht until such an advertisement was removed, he said. 

 

[newnative]

   What's the big deal?  The government already said private hospitals would be allowed to purchase and administer their own supplies of the vaccine, with the added benefit of reducing the pressure on the government vaccine program.  Vaccine reservations would logically be the first step in planning and then implementing the vaccinations.  

[mfd101]

12 minutes ago, newnative said:

   What's the big deal?  The government already said private hospitals would be allowed to purchase and administer their own supplies of the vaccine, with the added benefit of reducing the pressure on the government vaccine program.  Vaccine reservations would logically be the first step in planning and then implementing the vaccinations.  

I used to have a boss who would reply to me: "You're being rational again!"

[Patong2021]

22 minutes ago, newnative said:

   What's the big deal?  The government already said private hospitals would be allowed to purchase and administer their own supplies of the vaccine, with the added benefit of reducing the pressure on the government vaccine program.  Vaccine reservations would logically be the first step in planning and then implementing the vaccinations.  

The big deal is that it is unethical. Vaccines would be skimmed off, bribes paid to allow private hospitals to obtain vaccines that they can sell.  This is national emergency and there must be respect for priorities. Because a lower risk 30 year old can buy vaccine should not mean that a 75 at risk poor person should go without.  

[Pib]

Another reason the govt doesn't want hospital advertises/selling the vaccine "right now" is because it would make the government look bad in that the govt is still unable to start wide-spread vaccination of the public...unable to obtain the millions of doses needs.  

 

Yea, yea, the govt got a couple hundred thousand doses of Sinovac and AstraZenca about a month ago but that's a drop in the bucket since around 140 million doses is needed for Thailand's population of approx 70 million folks. 

 

And the government estimate when they will start wide-spread vaccination/be getting million of doses keeps slipping to the right....May...then June....then August.....etc.     

 

I don't expect the govt to allow hospitals to begin selling a COVID vaccine to just anyone willing to pay (i.e.., folks with money) until the govt is able to offer wide-spread vaccination to the masses. 

[Srikcir]

Didn't the government say private hospitals could directly acquire covid 19 vaccinations IF they first obtain an import license, ie., for a pharmaceutical?

 

Of course the government controls the time span for granting such a license and the hospitals would have to arrange for an agent to provide customs clearance. 

Note that a covid 19 vaccine made in Thailand wouldn't require an import license. 

 

As such why can't a hospital plan in advance to put together a list of people desiring the vaccination that would aide the hospital in ordering an appropriate quantity of vaccines? Especially as there's nothing preventing the public from making duplicate reservations with many hospitals in hopes of being "first come, first served." Particularly if the vaccine is made in Thailand.

 

This so-called "punishment" seems excessively and unnecessarily authoritarian.

[newnative]

2 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

The big deal is that it is unethical. Vaccines would be skimmed off, bribes paid to allow private hospitals to obtain vaccines that they can sell.  This is national emergency and there must be respect for priorities. Because a lower risk 30 year old can buy vaccine should not mean that a 75 at risk poor person should go without.  

    I fail to see how a sign-up program is unethical.  The hospital is just planning ahead for something that the government is going to allow--and likely encourage.  I'm in the at risk age group and the government is probably not going to pay for my vaccine--nor do I expect it to.  I do feel I should be allowed to sign up to pay for a vaccine once they become available.  If the government thinks there is an ethics problem it could limit the age group allowed to initially sign up with the private hospitals. 

[ThailandRyan]

2 hours ago, newnative said:

   What's the big deal?  The government already said private hospitals would be allowed to purchase and administer their own supplies of the vaccine, with the added benefit of reducing the pressure on the government vaccine program.  Vaccine reservations would logically be the first step in planning and then implementing the vaccinations.  

+1 your sentiment.  How else can a hospital judge how many vaccines they may need to obtain to meet the demand if they are not conducting surveys and registering people.  I am beginning to think the Governments registration is failing and more are wanting to register at the hospitals where most vaccinations do occur, or at clinics.

Edited March 30, 2021 by ThailandRyan

[AlfHuy]

Problem was, they forgot to order envelopes.

[Surelynot]

2 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

The big deal is that it is unethical. Vaccines would be skimmed off, bribes paid to allow private hospitals to obtain vaccines that they can sell.  This is national emergency and there must be respect for priorities. Because a lower risk 30 year old can buy vaccine should not mean that a 75 at risk poor person should go without.  

So why give hospitals permission in the first place.....Oh! wait this is Thailand

[connda]

8 hours ago, newnative said:

   What's the big deal?  The government already said private hospitals would be allowed to purchase and administer their own supplies of the vaccine, with the added benefit of reducing the pressure on the government vaccine program.  Vaccine reservations would logically be the first step in planning and then implementing the vaccinations.  

Probably face-saving.  If private hospitals were given free reign they'd be supplying the public with vaccines before the government, and as well, they would not be the primary purveyors of AZ vaccines.  My guess is that the local AZ manufacturer would be happier with a total vaccine monopoly.  A lot of people don't want AZ (just ask Mrs. Connda) and would rather pay a private hospital for their own choice of vaccines on the market.  It looks as though perhaps the government will assist in limiting that market as it directly impacts AZ market share. 

Age old story of Thailand - greed and saving face.  Ethics?  Yeah there probably is an ethics problem, but it's not with the private hospitals.  I completely fail to see how pre-planning and reserving vaccinations is unethical.  But if they are seen as cutting into someone else's private turf?  Ah-huh.  Ethics. Yeah.

 

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by connda

[ThailandRyan]

3 minutes ago, connda said:

Age old story of Thailand - greed and saving face.

While not taking care of the people of this beautiful country we have the pleasure of residing in.