Ministry probe 'a ploy'

Dr Sirichai Silapa-archa

The Public Health Ministry probe that reported finding irregularities in the Thai Khemkhaeng stimulus package was a ploy by certain officials to reallocate the budget to benefit community hospitals, a representative of provincial and general hospitals said yesterday.

The efforts began by discred¬iting then public health minister Witthaya Kaewparadai, by implicating him in suspicious procurement deals for a large number of UV sanitisers at an inflated price, said Dr Sirichai Silapaarcha, chairman of the Federation of Provincial and General Hospitals.

"Now the next target is permanent secretary Phaijit Warachit," he said.

Then "those playing this game" would push for an acting permanent secretary in place of Phaijit, who would redirect some Bt20 billion of the budget to community projects, he said.

"You can notice that the corruption allegation surfaced not long after the new permanent secretary was appointed. Before that there have never been problems about corruption," he said.

Most ministry officials back the Thai Khemkhaeng scheme, he said, adding that his support for it would also continue.

He had vowed earlier to go ahead with the policy and said a meeting of all executives was scheduled today to discuss further action on the findings.

The conflict between provincial and general hospitals and community hospitals was long standing, he said.

But the situation was exacerbated by the Bt30 universal health scheme. The staff and doctors with community hospitals started transferring minor cases that they could handle to the bigger hospitals, after they became targeted by more frequent medical malpractice suits, he said.

Patients' complaints increased because staff and doctors were overburdened with work when treatment was made low cost to the public due to the Bt30 policy, he said.

Many community hospitals have been provided with funds to acquire equipment and build more operating theatres, but low medical staffing due to the extensive brain drain left those facilities underutilised, he said.

An "allout battle" among ministry officials would break out if or when Phaijit was transferred to an inactive post pending an official investigation under normal procedures, he said.

More than 200,000 staff with provincial and general hospitals "would not agree to let it happen", he said.

"And I believe the prime minister will not let that happen, because Dr Phaijit is not involved in the corruption, as he was not part of the procurement process and was assigned to solely handle the H1N1 matter when he was a deputy," Sirichai added.

Although a suggestion has been made to the prime minister by the Rural Doctors Society - which first brought the problems with the procurement plans to light - to transfer all the politicians and ministry officials implicated by the ministry panel indefinitely pending further investigation, Phaijit was noncommittal.

"I would rather not comment on that. But as a person implicated, I would like to say that I have been criticised and verbally reprimanded in my personal case," he said, without giving more details.

Dr Kriangsak Watcharanukoolkiat, chairman of the society, said he was not sure whether Sirichai's statement about a "conspiracy theory" was made because he had watched too many movies or it was a figment of his imagination.

He praised Witthaya, another person implicated, for resigning, and said he expects Witthaya's deputy Manit Kaewamornbodee to follow.

Politicians' responsibilities in general corruption cases should not end after they resign, as they should also be prosecuted to set a good precedent, he said.

Sirichai's threat about a protest by 200,000 staff of provincial and general hospitals was hollow, he said.

"Let's not pay attention to it. It's impossible for 200,000 to easily make a move over anything, everything is regulated under law and order.