[Ip-health] Bangkok Post EDITORIAL: Is he good for our health?

[Kannikar KIJTIWATCHAKUL]

EDITORIAL
Bangkok Post, Friday May 23, 2008

Is he good for our health?

The sacking of the Government Pharmaceutical
Organisation's board of directors earlier this week
has stunned the medical establishment. Public Health
Minister Chaiya Sasomsab had openly made known that he
wanted the state enterprise's chairman, Dr Vichai
Chokewiwat, replaced. And on Tuesday he received the
Cabinet's approval to have the entire board replaced
with people of his choice.


It is arguably within the minister's power to effect
changes within state agencies under his supervision.
But Tuesday's decision is unlikely to increase the
GPO's efficiency, which the minister says is his main
goal. For starters, his choice of the new chairman and
some of the board members is uninspiring to say the
least. The line-up clearly gives the impression of
vested interests and politics at play.


The new GPO chairman, Thirachai Wuthitham, has no
known record of any connections with the
pharmaceutical industry. He is a former manager of the
national football team who ran for a parliament seat
under Puea Pandin party but failed to get elected last
Dec 23. Mr Thirachai is better known as a co-investor
in the Manchester City Football Club of former prime
minister Thaksin Shinawatra.


Other new board members include the wife of an army
general close to Mr Thaksin, and a property investor
with no knowledge of the medical business.


In contrast the sacked chairman, Dr Vichai, is a
veteran public health figure. He served in several key
positions at the Health Ministry before assuming the
GPO chairmanship in November 2006. The only possible
drawback, in the eyes of Minister Chaiya, has been Dr
Vichai's outstanding role in support of the compulsory
licensing (CL) policy.


This policy was introduced by the Surayud Chulanont
government; it enables the country to legally bypass
drug patents of multinational pharmaceutical
companies, thereby availing the public of generic
versions of otherwise exorbitantly priced medicine. Mr
Chaiya claims the policy puts Thailand at risk of
reprisal from Western trading partners. His attempt to
reverse CL policy has pitched him against health
officials and those fighting for the rights of people
suffering from heart disease, cancer and HIV-Aids.


Although Mr Chaiya eventually backed down on CL
policy, he has managed to get rid of a number of key
health personnel involved. Siriwat Tiptaradol,
chairman of the panel responsible for negotiating
price cuts with cancer drug firms, was transferred
from his position as Food and Drug Administration
secretary-general, to an inactive post as inspector at
the Health Ministry. Prat Boonyawongvirote, the
permanent secretary for health, and Thawat Sundarajan,
chief of the Disease Control Department, resigned
earlier reportedly under pressure from Mr Chaiya.


Given his present questionable legal status in
Cabinet, political etiquette requires that Mr Chaiya
keep his hands off important ministerial affairs. His
failure to declare his wife's assets within the
deadline may cost him his ministerial position; the
matter is now with the Constitution Court. Despite
this, Mr Chaiya's success in removing the GPO board
indicates just how strongly he is trying to hold on to
power at the Health Ministry.


His latest action comes at the expense of many good
civil servants with proven records and a state
enterprise responsible for giving poor people greater
access to quality and affordable medicine.


Mr Chaiya says his intervention in the GPO will
improve its operations. But his action speaks volumes
about whether he really has the public interest at
heart.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/230508_News/23May2008_news18.php


Kannikar KIJTIWATCHAKUL (Kar)
Access to Essential Medicine Campaigner
MSF Belgium - Thailand Mission,
522 Mooban Nakorn Thai 14,
Ladphrao Soi 101/1,
Bangkapi, Bangkok 10240
Tel (+66) 2370 3087
Fax (+66) 2731 1432
Mobile (+66) 85-070-8954