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Published on October 3, 2007

The council's president, Somsak Lolekha, yesterday said those who stood to gain or lose by the law should be informed of any amendment. He said he hoped the draft bill would be withdrawn today.

Twenty-eight NLA members led by Tuanjai Deetes had proposed the draft bill to the NLA chair on September 13. The NLA secretariat accepted it and made adjustments so it would enable the council to better protect people's welfare.

The draft bill is based on the Medical Treatment Profes-sion Act 1982. Among the changes is a streamlining of the council's board from 46 members to 25, of whom one-fifth would be from agencies working on health issues and consumer protection.

In future, the council's decision-making posts cannot be held by executives of offices with which there could be a conflict of interest. The council is required to hold a public hearing before implementing any regulation that could have an effect on people.

Somsak said the draft had been drawn up without the council's input and was an attempt to bring in outsiders to control the profession.

He said the council did not just oversee the profession's ethical behaviour but also supervised its standards and medical-school practices, therefore it needed people with technical knowledge.

"I don't want to say that the NLA action is unethical. Any law amendment must ensure that those who stand to gain or lose should be informed about it and a thorough public hearing held, rather than sneaking in an amendment ."

Thousands of doctors are signing their names to a petition of objection to the bill and, if it goes ahead, there could be a protest, he said.

Rural Doctors Society president Kriangsak Watchara-nukulkiat praised the draft as an up-to-date law that could solve many problems between doctors and patients in the long term.

The Nation