Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - May 23, 2008
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.
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