Doubts About Minister Pradit Meeting Health Groups

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Doubts about Pradit meeting health groups
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation

Minister says his removal 'impossible'; rural doctors to meet PM this week

BANGKOK: -- Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong said yesterday he would not hold any talks with the Rural Doctors' Society and its allies if they continue demanding his resignation.

The society and allied groups have threatened to hold a massive protest against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on June 20 if their demands to remove Pradit are not met.

"I will not have talks with them if they continue wanting to remove me because it is impossible," Pradit said.

Last week, the Rural Doctors' Society along with its allies, including the network of people living with HIV/Aids, patients with kidney disease, network of consumers and the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation's labour union, vowed to hold a mass protest this Thursday to pressure Yingluck into sacking Pradit.

They said they would also demand that the Cabinet revoke its resolution allowing the ministry to pay allowances based on the pay-for-performance (P4P) principle because it is not fair on medical staff working in remote areas.

They also want Pradit to stop interfering in the workings of the National Health Security Fund and the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO).

In a move to curb protests by the society and its allies, known as the Network for Justice in the Health System, Yingluck's personal secretary Suranand Vejjajiva met with group leaders, including society's president Dr Kriangsak Watcharanukulkiat.

After, all sides agreed to meet the PM at the Government House this Thursday.

However, the society has decided to stick by its demand to have Pradit fired and warned it will continue with civil disobedience until its demand is met.

They have also threatened to surround Yingluck's home on June 20 if nothing is done.



'P4P WILL GO AHEAD REGARDLESS'

Meanwhile, Pradit said the P4P scheme, implemented on April 1, would go ahead and will only be reviewed six months later.

The minister said the meeting on Thursday will be a workshop on seeking how best to implement this policy, as the government believes it will help improve efficiency in the healthcare system.

Pradit will attend the meeting with permanent secretary |Dr Narong Sahamethapat and director of the Fiscal Policy Research Institution Kanit Saengsuphan.

"I am happy that the society will be at the meeting to help resolve the issue. I always welcome their comments and will consider their suggestions on improving this policy," he said.

As for demands that the government drop its plans to privatise the GPO and introduce a co-payment policy in the universal healthcare scheme, Pradit said the government had never considered these changes.

"There's no reason to discuss these two issues because the government has no plans to privatise the GPO or implement a co-payment scheme.

"The government knows what will happen if it goes ahead with these ideas," he added.

However, Kriangsak said the society would hold another meeting with Suranand today for preliminary discussions before meeting Yingluck on Thursday.


-- The Nation 2013-06-04

[Thait Spot]

Government for the people

[Pib]

"I will not have talks with them if they continue wanting to remove me because it is impossible," Pradit said.

Nothing is impossible Khun Pradit...in fact, high govt officials are removed, assigned to inactive posts, etc., quite often in Thailand.

[bigbamboo]

"I am right...... you are all wrong. Do you know who my boss is?"