Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - March 1, 2007
Apiradee Treerutkuarkul
Lt-Gen Mongkol said the budget preparation for constructing vaccine development plants had already been drafted and the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) would be ready to produce oseltamivir for bird flu within a month.
The sacking of Lt-Gen Mongkol was approved by the cabinet on Tuesday on the grounds that he had failed to turn health policy into action. He will work in the position until a successor is selected.
Lt-Gen Mongkol also claimed it was unreasonable to blame the substandard drug manufacturing plant on him, saying examination of the facilities by the World Health Organisation was carried out before he was appointed in Oct 2005.
He said that he and other GPO executives had been put under pressure by the issue of compulsory licensing.
He said it was difficult to speed up the government's policy to break the patents on Aids drugs and heart disease therapy as long as there was no guarantee from policymakers that they would be protected from any possible lawsuits by patent holders of the drugs if they signed contracts to approve the import or manufacture of generic versions.
He criticised board chairman Vichai Chokewiwat, saying Dr Vichai had overstepped the line. The chairman's duty was to oversee the broad picture of GPO policy, not to directly supervise the managing director, Lt-Gen Mongkol said.
"Of course, I can't do everything to please everyone within a short period of one year. But I can assure you that everything that I've done has been in the GPO's best interests," he said at a press conference attended by hundreds of GPO staff.
Rawai Poopaka, president of the GPO staff union, said the decision to terminate his contract was suspicious.
Mr Rawai demanded an explanation from the health minister and the GPO chairman, saying "we will not leave this issue unexplained".
Dr Vichai declined to clarify the reasons which led to the dismissal of the managing director but said the decision was based on facts and was agreed to by the board.
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