Narong's transfer not really a solution

[webfact]

Narong's transfer not really a solution
CHULARAT SAENGPASSA
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- DR NARONG Sahametapat, the permanent secretary of the Public Health Ministry, has finally had to step down as the conflict over the universal healthcare scheme hit higher levels of intensity.

Word has been spreading since early this year that if Narong and Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin failed to settle the conflict, one of them would lose his post.

Since Narong has shared this government's stance against the previous elected administration, it appears that the authorities have tried not to be too harsh with him. Hence Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha just had him transferred to the Prime Minister's Office pending investigation into his alleged failure to respond to government policies.

The probe will likely take some time, possibly long enough to let Narong retire at the end of October.

While the investigation continues, nobody will be appointed to take over his post at the ministry. His deputy Surachet Satitramai is temporarily filling the post as acting permanent secretary.

So if the government still cares about Narong, why has he been transferred?

The main reason for it might be Narong's clash with the National Health Security Office (NHSO) over the management of the universal healthcare scheme and his uncompromising stance.

Last month, Narong did not show up for the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the two sides in removing obstacles to implement the programme. This issue is a big deal, given that the scheme covers some 48 million Thais.

Concerns expressed

The government is obliged to ensure that the clash does not reach the point of disrupting the programme.

After all, many health networks have expressed concerns.

Led by Narong, state hospitals under the ministry's supervision have stopped submitting reports on treatments provided under the programme to the NHSO.

These hospitals have also threatened to stop doubling as the scheme's registrars.

They have resorted to these pressure tactics in a bid to press the NHSO into handing over the power to manage much of the programme as well as its budget.

Narong, however, has lamented that Thailand's healthcare system has gone astray over the past 12 years because of the NHSO's budget-oriented approach.

"It has focused on money first, rather than services," he said.

In a bid to wrest control of the programme that has been operating under a yearly budget of well over Bt100 billion, Narong had started preparing by such things as establishing healthcare service areas.

The NHSO, however, has said it plays an important role as the buyer of the services so as to protect patients' interest.

Both sides have their points, and both sides have their base of supporters. Hence it has been really difficult for Rajata to solve the matter himself.

When Narong refused to change his stance even after Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan summoned both him and Rajata to a meeting, instructing them to arrange negotiations, it seems the government had no choice but to move Narong from the ministry.

The transfer order promises to ease the heat in relation to running the universal healthcare scheme.

But it might just offer a respite, because the root cause of the problem still exists and sooner or later the conflict will rear its ugly head again.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Narongs-transfer-not-really-a-solution-30255923.html


-- The Nation 2015-03-13

[ChrisY1]

Narong is just one of a long list of oxygen thieves in the civil service..........

[FireMedic]

Well I'm not an expert, but I do work in Government hospitals every week. It doesn't take a MP to know why there are substantial losses. If the money that was taken by the directors was actually put into the hospitals, they would have really nice facilities.

[smedly]

It is pretty obvious there is an issue between Narong and Rajata (probably more face saving than anything else) and even more obvious that "surprise surprise" there are either hands in the cookie jar or unqualified people who are being paid high salaries in jobs they are incapable in doing or a mixture of both.

Who: between all these conflicting departments and people is to blame is of little interest, I would simply sack the lot of them as collectively (just like Thai Airways) they have failed and are ineffective at performing the task they have been given.

Is there anyone in this country that can actually run an organisation or business with some degree of professionalism and expertise ? if not then they should be recruiting from outside Thailand as it is costing the country and it's people dearly

Edited March 13, 2015 by smedly

[zaphod reborn]

Well I'm not an expert, but I do work in Government hospitals every week. It doesn't take a MP to know why there are substantial losses. If the money that was taken by the directors was actually put into the hospitals, they would have really nice facilities.

If Thaksin's scheme wasn't viewed as economically sustainable, perhaps some reforms could be implemented to preserve medical care for the bulk of the population.

[Eric Loh]

Both were close ally during the PDRC protest and now bitter foes. They were actually fighting for the minister post and Rajata got the ministerial position and Narong the perm sec. Got to have a bearing on their inability to work together from the very first day. Hope this not the reason as personal differences should never be brought into work which is holding hostage to thousands of citizens needing medical care.

[Srikcir]

"the conflict will rear its ugly head again."

As far as the Junta is concerned, that can happen to the next elected government. In the meantime the Junta will want everyone to be happy and not have any conflicts among government officials. Maybe Narong will be invited to an army attitude center for reflection on what he can contribute to Prayut's regime.

[Pi Sek]

Well I'm not an expert, but I do work in Government hospitals every week. It doesn't take a MP to know why there are substantial losses. If the money that was taken by the directors was actually put into the hospitals, they would have really nice facilities.

If Thaksin's scheme wasn't viewed as economically sustainable, perhaps some reforms could be implemented to preserve medical care for the bulk of the population.

It was never viewed as economically sustainable. That's why the Chuan Leekpai government didn't action the proposal in the late 90s... it had been proposed initially by a doctor (can't remember who) in 1995.

Good article from The Economist here, which touches on the lack of clarity on this as well as with the other populist policies, from before the time when Sam Moon publicly announced he was working for Thaksin to restore his image after the UK rejected his asylum claim:

www.economist.com/node/476652

"Mr Thaksin has reinforced the message with some cleverly directed promises... Health care will be available at clinics for a token 30 baht a visit... Quite how any of this is to be paid for is left a mystery.

"The trouble with Mr Chuan was that, in his readiness to dispense long-term medicine, he failed to convince ordinary Thais that he cared about their immediate problems."

[Pi Sek]

Ah, that was bothering the hell out of me. The man who initially proposed the 30-Baht healthcare scheme was Dr. Sanguan Nitayarumphong, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Public Health, commonly referred to amongst non-Red Shirts as "The Father of Universal Healthcare" (Red Shirts will swear blind Thaksin was the originator of this scheme - he just put it into premature action and nearly bankrupted state healthcare). Poor guy died of cancer in 2008.