Doctors ask US Embassy in Bangkok to help with transparency over Pfizer vaccine donation

[webfact]

Picture: Daily News

 

In a move that is likely to embarrass the Prayuth Chan-ocha government a group of several medical professional groups presented a letter to the US embassy yesterday calling for help in ensuring that the donation of 1.54 million doses of Pfizer vaccine goes to the right people.

 

The message was loud and clear in the English letter read out by Dr Nat Siriratbunkhajorn representing a network of medical professionals in front of the massed ranks of the Thai press at the embassy yesterday.

 

They were imploring the Charge d'Affaires Michael Heath (acting ambassador) to make sure the donation did not fall into the hands of corrupt officials and get diverted away from its intended recipients.

 

The US has stated that it should be used to vaccinate front line health workers as third booster doses and then go to older people, those with health complications and those seeking to study abroad. 

 

Dr Nat pointed out that 800 medical professionals had been infected with Covid after getting two doses of sub-standard vaccine. 

 

Yet only 500,000 doses of the donation had been allocated to them by the Ministry of Public Health.

 

He itemized concerns and worries that front line medical staff were getting the wrong booster jabs. 

 

A US official received the letter intended for Mr Heath, reported Daily News. 

 

Mr Heath had previously gone online with a statement in Thai, notes ASEAN 

 

The US donation has also caused concern after initial claims were made that some of the donation should be given to US nationals in Thailand. This was not mentioned by Mr Heath in his video address. 

 

Dr Nat called on the US to use their influence to pressure the government into making sure the donation was delivered to the people it was intended for. 

 

Thailand's vaccine rollout - slow and fraught with conflicting statements according to critics - has also been seen by some as favoring certain people ahead of those who need and deserve it most. 

 

Corruption, endemic in Thailand, was always seen as likely to rear its ugly head in the rollout and yesterday's action is a clear manifestation on a public stage of such fears, suggests ASEAN NOW. 

 

-- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2021-07-28

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[RotBenz8888]

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

did not fall into the hands of corrupt officials and get diverted away from its intended recipients.

You bet that's what's gonna happen. 

[mtls2005]

Knew this one would get ugly, just not BEFORE the vaccines arrived (tomorrow).

 

The local branch of our government will not be drawn into the allocation fight, other than to kindly request that a few foreigners, or foreign-looking Thais, get some of the 150,000 doses.

 

 

This will get uglier each day.

 

Rumors, accusations will abound. In the end, a lot of Thais will view the U.S. in a negative light (lose-lose).

 

There will be at least 20 threads here on this in the next 7 days.

 

 

[Rig Pig]

Michael Heath is an imposter and should shut the <deleted> Up. He has done nothing to help US Taxpaying Expats to get the vaccine. Go home fool!!!

Edited July 28, 2021 by metisdead
8.) You will not post disruptive or inflammatory messages, vulgarities, obscenities or profanities.

[poskat]

this just shows how serious the situation is here, with these thai docs asking the dirty foreigners to protect them from their corrupt countrymen...

 

thais choosing honesty over face is unheard of.

[Mango Bob]

Why not just give it to the Americans who deserve it more than the corrupt government.

[Emdog]

43 minutes ago, Rig Pig said:

Michael Heath is an imposter and should shut the <deleted> Up. He has done nothing to help US Taxpaying Expats to get the vaccine. Go home fool!!!

He has to follow state department guide which tells US expats worldwide to "depend on local resources". I too am mightily <deleted> off and disgusted with US leaving us to twist in the wind. State Dept is part of executive branch. The buck stops with Biden, whom I voted for. Face it, we don't matter. We are expendable.

US won't demand accountability. CDC head said all those donations are made "with no strings attached"...

[Dogmatix]

The doctors don't understand.  The vaccines are a gift from the US to the Thai government, not to the Thai people or Thai doctors.  The US will hope to get some kind of benefit from capitulating so readily to the government's requests that there should be no conditions.

 

[placeholder]

43 minutes ago, Rig Pig said:

Michael Heath is an imposter and should shut the <deleted> Up. He has done nothing to help US Taxpaying Expats to get the vaccine. Go home fool!!!

How do you know what he's done? How do you know that he hasn't been in communication with higher-ups at the State Dept to get US expats the vaccine? Do you understand that he has neither the authority nor the means to get expats vaccinated in Thailand? Another case of displaced anger. Rage at the people who actually have the authority to make that decision.,

[John Drake]

Blame this entirely on the US government and embassy. They did nothing to protect the interests of American citizens and allowed the vaccine to sink into a swamp of Thai agencies. Make no mistake about it, this is a case of the US wanting to preen and strut about how virtuous they are, giving vaccine with no conditions, and so much better than the others who did. And what is the result of the preening? They are looking worse than ever. Total chaos and corruption.

[Dogmatix]

3 minutes ago, Emdog said:

He has to follow state department guide which tells US expats worldwide to "depend on local resources". I too am mightily <deleted> off and disgusted with US leaving us to twist in the wind. State Dept is part of executive branch. The buck stops with Biden, whom I voted for. Face it, we don't matter. We are expendable.

US won't demand accountability. CDC head said all those donations are made "with no strings attached"...

The US should have learned from its experiences dealing with corrupt regimes all over the world during its peak "Export fascism" years.  The Republic of South Vietnam is the most egregious example.  Supporting that Catholic elite minority cost millions of lives for nothing. 

 

The theft of donations from Oxfam and other charities in the 80s by corrupt governments in the horn of Africa is another example of how well meaning donations can be wasted. 

[placeholder]

8 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Blame this entirely on the US government and embassy. They did nothing to protect the interests of American citizens and allowed the vaccine to sink into a swamp of Thai agencies. Make no mistake about it, this is a case of the US wanting to preen and strut about how virtuous they are, giving vaccine with no conditions, and so much better than the others who did. And what is the result of the preening? They are looking worse than ever. Total chaos and corruption.

Still living in denial about the embassy, are we? Or maybe you have some evidence to indict the embassy staff? Please, share with us what you think it has the authority to do. And while you're at it, please let us know the content of any communications between embassy staff and higher-ups at the State Dept. 

[Heng]

Surely the US gov got what it wanted in trade.   'After all, we're not communists...'

 

[John Drake]

Just now, placeholder said:

Still living in denial about the embassy, are we? Or maybe you have some evidence to indict the embassy staff? Please, share with us what you think it has the authority to do. And while you're at it, please let us know the content of any communications between embassy staff and higher-ups at the State Dept. 

Does the embassy pay you to post these embarrassing excuses for them? The charge's letter to expats in which he treated us contemptuously is enough to condemn him. The fact that he continues to roll out messages for Thais and now go silent about Americans is another insult. Granted, he's just an empty suit, because there is no real ambassador here who might have influence back in the US. That is where your so-called "authority" comes in. Presidents and State Departments listen to the people they appoint. Heath is just a functionary. 

[tomacht8]

Unbelievable. A global pandemic is raging, people are dying, the economy is on the ground and doctors in one country are asking the embassy of another country to monitor and control the distribution of the vaccine. Because they fear that the vaccine fall into the hands of corrupt officials and get diverted away from its intended recipients.

What a slap in the face of the rulers and responsible officials.
A severe loss of face

Edited July 28, 2021 by tomacht8

[Thailand]

Thank goodness the UK did not donate any left over vaccine to the Thai govt after this embarassment to the US.

Or have they?

[John Drake]

23 minutes ago, Dogmatix said:

The US should have learned from its experiences dealing with corrupt regimes all over the world during its peak "Export fascism" years.  The Republic of South Vietnam is the most egregious example.  Supporting that Catholic elite minority cost millions of lives for nothing. 

 

The theft of donations from Oxfam and other charities in the 80s by corrupt governments in the horn of Africa is another example of how well meaning donations can be wasted. 

Earlier this year, there was a poster from South Korea following what was happening with the US's promise to vaccinate the South Korean army. I don't remember which vaccine was going to be used, but it ended up they couldn't vaccinate the army because most of them were too young for the particular vaccine offered. But the deal went through anyway. No provisions to take care of expats there either. And I don't remember seeing any follow up stories that traced where the shipment finally ended up at. But it did go to South Korea. 

[biervoormij]

The original news of this donation said that 20% of the vaccines would go to foreigners. This seems to have been reduced to 10%. I would like to know if there was an error in the reporting or if there was no stipulation of this in the terms of the donation?

[John Drake]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

Rumors, accusations will abound. In the end, a lot of Thais will view the U.S. in a negative light (lose-lose).

The US always shoots itself in the foot. It and the UK still look like to giant vaccine pigs, hoarding massive amounts of the most effective vaccine until it expires and must be discarded.  Wait till that image goes around the world: Americans throwing vaccine into the dumpster rather than sharing it through trusted agencies or their own embassies.

[placeholder]

23 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Does the embassy pay you to post these embarrassing excuses for them? The charge's letter to expats in which he treated us contemptuously is enough to condemn him. The fact that he continues to roll out messages for Thais and now go silent about Americans is another insult. Granted, he's just an empty suit, because there is no real ambassador here who might have influence back in the US. That is where your so-called "authority" comes in. Presidents and State Departments listen to the people they appoint. Heath is just a functionary. 

"Blame this entirely on the US government and embassy"

"Heath is just a functionary."

Am I the only one who sees a contradiction here?

 

[John Drake]

7 minutes ago, biervoormij said:

The original news of this donation said that 20% of the vaccines would go to foreigners. This seems to have been reduced to 10%. I would like to know if there was an error in the reporting or if there was no stipulation of this in the terms of the donation?

The only report was through the statement of a Thai general, I believe. Still, the idea had to come from somewhere and we can only speculate that it was part of discussions between the US and Thai government. If so, the US caved.  A stunning contrast to the smooth workings of the French and Chinese embassies.

[sqwakvfr]

This is not good.  In essence a Thai National is asking a foreign government to get involved in the Internal Affairs of this  country.  The Vaccine Donation was supposedly made without conditions?  At this point: "Just get the dam shots in arms, any arms".   

 

I believe the 20% to foreigners was a either a suggestion or a recommendation?  In that case "thank you America and stay out of our internal affairs"?  

Edited July 28, 2021 by sqwakvfr

[mfd101]

Perhaps the vaxes could be jabbed within the rather ample grounds of the US Embassy, with different queues as appropriate.

[John Drake]

21 minutes ago, placeholder said:

"Blame this entirely on the US government and embassy"

"Heath is just a functionary."

Am I the only one who sees a contradiction here?

 

So Heath is not a functionary of the US government at the embassy?  Exactly who is he working for then?

[newnative]

Oh, dear. Asking the US Embassy in Bangkok for help.  Good luck with that.  

[herfiehandbag]

2 hours ago, Thailand said:

Thank goodness the UK did not donate any left over vaccine to the Thai govt after this embarassment to the US.

Or have they?

Well no, we just gave them the rights to manufacture AZ in the first place...

Fat lot of good that seems to have done!

[Emdog]

2 hours ago, mfd101 said:

Perhaps the vaxes could be jabbed within the rather ample grounds of the US Embassy, with different queues as appropriate.

Or the rather extensive ambassador's residence across the street. Regular Central Park. As there is currently no ambassador, joint should be empty (yeah, right...)

Edited July 28, 2021 by Emdog

[herfiehandbag]

2 hours ago, tomacht8 said:

Unbelievable. A global pandemic is raging, people are dying, the economy is on the ground and doctors in one country are asking the embassy of another country to monitor and control the distribution of the vaccine. Because they fear that the vaccine fall into the hands of corrupt officials and get diverted away from its intended recipients.

What a slap in the face of the rulers and responsible officials.
A severe loss of face

It is certainly a remarkable " vote of (no) confidence on the part of the medical profession; who have a rather central part to play in combatting the pandemic.

 

The trouble is of course that whilst they may be (are) leading this fight they wear simple white coats rather than medal ribbons, parachute wings and various "combat qualification" badges!

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

They were imploring the Charge d'Affaires Michael Heath (acting ambassador) to make sure the donation did not fall into the hands of corrupt officials and get diverted away from its intended recipients.

How embarrassing for the government.

[retsdon]

Ouch...