RIP Wayne Guest

[Lite Beer]

Political interference behind the sacking of GPO chief: rural doctors
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation on Sunday

Witit Artavatkun

BANGKOK: -- The sacking of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO)'s managing director was due to political interference, health advocates and the Rural Doctors Society said yesterday.

The claimed that Friday's decision by the GPO's executive board to fire Witit Artavatkun for negligence could be part of a broader plan to privatise the state drug maker.

"Personally, I believe that a politician has intervened with the decision of the GPO's executive board to fire Witit, as the evidence they used to scrutinise him and that was shown to members of the public was not enough to fire him," said Thai Drug Watch manager Niyada Kiartyingangsulee.

The GPO is facing new challenges from this political intervention, she said.

"We are worried that the country's drug procurement will be in trouble."

Witit was sacked over alleged irregularities in the procurement of raw material to produce paracetamol and the delayed construction of an influenza vaccine factory and an HIV/Aids drug plant.

Dr Vachira Botpiboon, a former president of the Rural Doctors Society, said the decision to fire Witit could be compared with the fable of The Wolf and the Lamb by the ancient Greek storyteller Aesop, with politicians bullying officials who do not follow their orders.

Explanation

"Witit gave a clear explanation to the GPO's executive board over what really happened with the stockpile of raw material to produce paracetamol and the delay in the influenza vaccine plant as well as the HIV/Aids drug plant, but it seems there was a political intervention into the decision to fire him," he said.

He added that Witit’s explanation for the delay in the construction of the influenza vaccine plant was reasonable, as at that time Thailand had faced huge problems with flooding. In addition, the country had no experts who knew how to construct the plant, so the delay in construction was normal.

"I just want the GPO's executive board to reconsider their decision," he said. "Witit sacrificed himself for the nation for several years and all of them know him very well. They shouldn't do the wrong thing to secure their positions and serve politicians."

Meanwhile, Witit said he had tried to explain to the GPO's executive board many times about the stockpiling of raw material to make paracetamol and related issues.

"They already had their answer when they first started asking me," he said. "I am okay. I do not blame anyone. And it is not clear whether this is a political game or not. I do not want to speak about this issue. I do not know, what do you think about it? Is it a political game?"

Rawai Phoorakha, president of the GPO's labour union, said he believed that the decision to remove Witit was part of a three-step plan to privatise the state drug maker.

He explained that politicians would first try to discredit the GPO, then weaken the state drug maker and finally privatise it.

Rawai said the union would join with the Rural Doctors Society to hand a petition to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra calling for a stop to political intervention in the GPO on June 6.

-- The Nation 2013-05-19

[A Member]

Please, please don't insult our intelligence, political interference in Thailand ? Could never happen.

[Roadman]

The Thai legal drug trade, must be huge. One can envisage another Shinawatra mafia family trough connector sucking cream of the top of that. The Cambodian trough is being strengthened from friendly pigs to family pigs as well. The Isaanites are well on their way to having their own Royal Amarth. Problem is this one only has him and his family in mind. And the Khwai toil on.

Edited May 19, 2013 by Roadman

[Thai at Heart]

And the boss of something like this is of course immune to kick backs?

Why he is getting scrutinised and others not who knows but he is hardly scandal free. But what has the board of the GPO been doing for the last 2 years?

[geriatrickid]

The circumstances relating to the construction delays and the stockpiling was inexcusable. The drug component orders should have been deferred, even if subject to a penalty. As for the delayed construction, the terminated director was in charge and he was the one overseeing the construction projects. Of course there was some government input. If the GPO is underwritten with public funds then it is subject to government oversight. If there is anything to criticize, it is the government's delay in acting. the rural doctors association is going to complain about anything and everything because it is feuding with the government.

[A Member]

And the boss of something like this is of course immune to kick backs?

Why he is getting scrutinised and others not who knows but he is hardly scandal free. But what has the board of the GPO been doing for the last 2 years?

Thailand is a prime example of the saying "remember if you point the finger at someone you have three pointing back at you " and I won't bother to mention the amount of glass used in the construction of houses.

[Bagwan]

Since when in Thailand has negligence been an excuse for showing somebody the door? Things are going awry and the Board of Directors wring their hands and do nothing for over two years?

Who needs Government produced Paracetamol? Pharmacies that I use are heaving with refined and presumably more effective versions which are obtainable for little money. Why can I hear a chorus of 'oink oink'?

[Thai at Heart]

And the boss of something like this is of course immune to kick backs?

Why he is getting scrutinised and others not who knows but he is hardly scandal free. But what has the board of the GPO been doing for the last 2 years?

Thailand is a prime example of the saying "remember if you point the finger at someone you have three pointing back at you " and I won't bother to mention the amount of glass used in the construction of houses.

Measures of degree of who is on the take are largely irrelevant in Thailand.

At one point or another any government officer has been. It's almost compulsory because that is how it survives.

[Robby nz]

Of course on Wednesday

Thai Public Health Minister Pradit Denies Bid To Oust G P O Chief Witit

With a denial like that it was inevitable.

[smedly]

lets see who eventually owns the GPO if indeed it is privatised - that alone will reveal the truth about this story

[BrianCR]

Now I know why every time I go to hospital, part of the prescription is for paracetamol, the doctors were conspiring with Witit Artavatkun. He buys it cheap, they sell it expensively and they split the profit!!! - I bet the Democrats get a cut as well - another TV case of corruption

[hansnl]

lets see who eventually owns the GPO if indeed it is privatised - that alone will reveal the truth about this story

Any bookmakers want to take bets?

[waza]

More PTP corruption, the more they remove the effective and productive public servants the closer Thailand get to a banana republic. Witit was found innocent of any wrong doings by the by the Food and Drug Administration, but then Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawa-narong, was unhappy with their decision and set Tarit and the DSI on him. Tarit found him guilty before they had investigated the issue or heard any evidence from witnesses including Witit himself. It all has the stench of a witch hunt about it.

Edited May 19, 2013 by waza

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

These guys (the GPO) seem to have failed to perform on a whole series of important projects/initiatives.

Regardless of whether politics is involved, it shouldn't be just the director of the organization to get sacked... It should be the governing board as well for failing in its oversight and management duties.

That doesn't mean, however, that there isn't a good role in Thailand for a government drugs producing agency. There is a good role, as ostensibly they help ensure affordable medicines for the people of the country and provide alternative sourcing for drugs that would be much more expensive if they were only available as imports.

But please, let's at least get some people at GPO who have some idea of what they're doing and what their mission is supposed to be.

[timewilltell]

Wake up Thai people!