PUBLIC-HEALTH ROW
Calls for PM to intervene in wrangle
PONGPHON SARNSAMAK.
PUANGCHUMPOO PRASERT
THE NATION



Experts warn Yingluck not to let 'war' between Pradit, rural doctors escalate

BANGKOK: -- Two prominent senior medical officers yesterday warned Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra not to let the "war" between Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong and the Rural Doctors Society escalate to where it becomes uncontrollable.

Rural Doctors Society president Dr Kriangsak Watcharanukulkiat and former public health minister Mongkol Na Songkla urged Yingluck to make decisions to resolve the conflict.

Meanwhile, the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation's labour union yesterday vowed to file a lawsuit against Pradit and his ministerial secretary Kamol Bandaiphet for allegedly damaging the reputation of the state drug maker, calling on the minister to stop his political intervention into the GPO's business and finances.

The move comes after Pradit on Monday warned that those accusing him of wrongdoing could face libel suits.

Mongkol said Pradit and the Rural Doctors Society should listen to each other and not resort to power to solve this conflict.

"There will be only disaster for us if they fight each other," Mongkol said, adding that Yingluck should handle this issue and not just ignore the problem as she had in designating Pradit.

"Finally, the disappointment of medical workers will become a problem for the government," he added.

Rawai Phuphakha, president of the GPO's labour union, said Pradit had damaged the reputation of the drug maker by asking Kamol to submit a petition to the Department of Special Investigation to probe for irregularities in the import and stockpile of raw materials to produce paracetamol, and the delay in the construction of a flu-vaccine plant.

"Even if Pradit wanted to investigate irregularities taking place within the GPO, he should not have made it public, damaging the reputation of the state drug maker," he said.

Also, he said, Kamol had told the media the raw material to produce paracetamol was tainted.

"This was a plan to discredit and weaken the state drug maker," he said. Instead of going public through the media, Pradit should have set up a committee to investigate perceived irregularities.

Rawai was speaking at a seminar titled "The Killing of the Govern-|ment Pharmaceutical Organisation and the Disaster for Country |and People", organised by the union.

About 800 state-enterprise workers attended the meeting. They vowed to join the Rural Doctors Society's protest before Yingluck's house on June 6, demanding that she fire Pradit from his ministerial position.

After becoming minister on November 2, Pradit designated Dr Pipat Yingseri, former secretary-|general of the Food and Drug Administration, as the new president of the GPO's executive board. Pipat replaced Dr Narongsak Angkhasuwa-pala, who had a good relationship with the employees.

Rawai said Pipat had asked GPO staff to set up a personal working room for him and provide all information about the GPO's procurements.

"Pipat was working like a director, even though he is president of the GPO's executive board," he said.

Kriangsak said the Rural Doctors Society would go ahead with its protest before Yingluck's house on June 6.

About 3,000 medical workers and a network of patients will join a group of state-enterprise labour unions. They will demand that the government cancel the Cabinet resolution that forces the Public Health Ministry to pay an additional allowance based on the principle known as P4P (pay for performance).

They also want Yingluck to remove Pradit from the ministerial position.

"We want Yingluck to hear our voice from our mouths, not from Pradit," Kriangsak said, adding: "Pradit is the problem."

His group will cancel the protest if the government fires Pradit, even if it does not change its policy towards the Public Health Ministry, he said.

Meanwhile, a group of medical professionals - Friends of Mahidol University - has issued a statement calling for Pradit to cancel the P4P policy.

They also supported the Rural Doctors Society's plan to protest against the government at Yingluck's house.


-- The Nation 2013-05-29

I have read somewhere that Thai doctors are paid very little - about as much as a school teacher. Can this be true? I believe I read that they get extra for working in really rural areas, but the amounts really surprised me. Does anyone know about how much they are paid?

Rural Doctors Society president Dr Kriangsak Watcharanukulkiat and former public health minister Mongkol Na Songkla urged Yingluck to make decisions to resolve the conflict.

Really. Asking the muppet to make decisions to resolve the conflict has about as much chance of success as me asking my cat to do brain surgery.