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Published on February 27, 2008

Dr Siriwat's public health career started in 1978 as the director of Si Sa Ket's Utumporn Pisai District Hospital. He was transferred to Trat's Khao Sa-Ming Hospital and later to Nonthaburi's Pong Nam Ron Hospital as the director.

Later, he headed to the northeastern province of Nong Khai for a six-year stint as the provincial public health chief. He served four years as deputy secretary-general of the FDA and two years as deputy director-general of the Medical Science Department.

He was the senior medical scientist for one year before being appointed director of the Health Systems Research Institute for two years.

Siriwat, 57, has been secretary-general of the FDA since 2006. He was appointed by the previous public health minister, Dr Mongkol Na Songkla, as chairman of the committee for compulsory licensing of patented drugs. He was successful in negotiating drug prices down by more than 50 per cent.

The Nation