• 
• 

Published on March 11, 2008

Currently, the Foundation for Consumers has cited four key reasons why Chaiya should be kicked out of the ministry. First, they claim his suggestion that the government review compulsory licensing for cancer drugs has caused at least Bt248 million in damages to the state. Second, he breached the Constitution by calling for the review even before the new government declared its policies to Parliament. Third, he unfairly singled out officials supporting the enforcement of compulsory licensing. Fourth, while he has failed to advocate patients' rights and benefits, he has put many tangible obstacles in the way of health-system reforms.

No matter how loud the complaints against him, Chaiya does not seem to care.

He told activists and patients that he would not be the person who decided on whether the compulsory licensing should be removed. "You should talk to the commerce minister," Chaiya said recently, to the anger of compulsory-licensing supporters. Given the fact that his predecessor - Mongkol Na Songkhla - introduced compulsory licensing, Chaiya's argument sounded  unconvincing.

"For the concerns that there would be lobbying attempts to cancel the compulsory licensing for cancer drugs, I would like to say now that the pharmaceutical companies are not as rich as I am. Look at my house; drug companies can't even compete with me," he said in reply to suggestions by NGOs that his cancellation of the policy stemmed from pharmaceutical companies.

With rural doctors recently conducting a chilli-burning ceremony to condemn him, Chaiya ordered Public Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr Prat Boonyawongviroj to transfer Dr Pongthep Wongwatcharapaiboon.

Amid reports that the Rural Doctors Society was behind an effort to uproot him, Chaiya had Pongthep, a former president of the Rural Doctors Society, moved to a desk in front of Chaiya's own office. This followed a broadcast of the  "Top Jote" programme on Thai PBS, in which Pongthep, a leading member in the movement against Chaiya, gave a phone interview while Chaiya was on the other line of the programme on March 5. Pongthep was then transferred to assist in administrative work at Chaiya's office on March 7. However, after the order was criticised by rural doctors who said the public health minister had no legal authority to move officials of the 8-level ranking, Chaiya told reporters that he would not transfer Pongthep on the grounds that he was a doctor, not a clerk.

 Chaiya also ordered an investigation into the procurement of 158 motorcycles by the Kalasin public health office, a move which suggests that the office's head, Dr Pisit Uawongkul, was singled out simply because he is part of the Rural Doctors Society.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) secretary-general Siriwat Thiptaradol, who chaired the committee negotiating price reductions for proprietary drugs, was also suddenly moved aside to become an inspector-general at the ministry.

Dr Chatree Banchuen, chief of the Medical Science Department, was ordered to replace Siriwat.

But Siriwat now plans to file a lawsuit with the Administrative Court to review the order, which he claims was inappropriate.

However, Chatree has requested another posting, saying that he wants something more appropriate for his qualifications. The 58-year-old doctor's request came after Chaiya did not accept his resignation. Chatree announced that he would leave the service if he were forced to head FDA.

"Setting up serious disciplinary probes for me seems like an attempt to find faults in me. This is in line with the lawsuit filed to the Administrative Court by a private company that claimed the procurement cancellation caused damages to the firm. So if these committees ruled that I was at fault, it would help that firm's case and cause the ministry to pay large compensation money," the 58-year-old senior official said.

Despite this backlash and the trouble he has had to deal with, Chaiya did not hesitate to suggest that the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) board should resign in line with political etiquette given that a new administration is in place.

GPO chairman Dr Vichai Chokevivat has fiercely defended his board, saying that no board member has to step down because a new public health minister was appointed. It is also widely known that Chaiya has been attempting to secure a top post at the National Health Security Office for a doctor who once treated him.

Although Chaiya has indeed sparked several controversies and attracted a lot of criticism, he has managed to find some supporters.

By giving more money and benefits to doctors at health stations and public-health volunteers across the country, Chaiya has cause to feel safe enough.

Dr Prat Boonyawongviroj, the permanent-secretary at the Public Health Ministry, for example, is clearly standing by Chaiya's side. "If you want to fire Chaiya, please fire me too," Prat said recently. He was also the one who received a bouquet of flowers from the "Chum Chon Khon Roo Jai", who visited the Public Health Ministry to shower Chaiya with moral support.

Singing the praise of his new boss, Prat said, "I've never seen a minister who can do so much within one month".

According to Prat, Chaiya's achievements include the setting up of a fund to help doctors in malpractice cases, a project to expand kidney-unit coverage, and campaigns for organ donations.

However, even though Prat stepped out to support Chaiya, his own status as permanent secretary is not so stable. Chaiya gave an interview to a local newspaper in which he said that if Prat could not stop rural doctors from collecting signatures to uproot him, Prat himself might be the next target for a transfer. Certainly, doctors want Chaiya to back off, as this issue requires a thorough discussion not threats. The doctors believe that they are here to serve the public for years, while Chaiya could leave office any day after this. As such, the public's interests should come first.

Chularat Saengpassa

The Nation