Soliciting of signatures to remove Health minister continues

"We can collect more than 10,000 signatures across country who agree with us to oust Chaiya Sasomsub. We expect that within two weeks we could collect up to 20,000 names, which would be enough to ask the Upper House to impeach him," said Dr Kriengsak Watcharanukoolkiat, chairman of the Rural Doctors Society.

He said even though Chaiya has reversed his decision not to cancel the recent compulsory licensing, he is still guilty of creating damage to the country and the morality of health officials, such as the unfair and suspicious transfer of the chief of Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Dr Siriwat Tiptaradol to the post of  general inspector at the Public Health Ministry.

Siriwat also worked on the previous government's compulsory licensing of expensive HIV/Aids, cancer and heart treatments, which enabled poor patients to have access to these drugs at much lower prices.

Siriwat said he will no longer act as the head of the committee to negotiate price reductions with drug firms after he was transferred.

"The new FDA's chief will take charge this position," he said.

He said the previous Public Health Minister, Dr Mongkol na Songkla maintained the chief of the FDA also had to head the committee for price reductions with the drug firms. It would therefore be improper of him to take this post.

However, Kriengsak said he would meet with the permanentsecretary, Dr Prat Boonwongviroj to seek a resolution about the conflict between a group of rural doctors and the Health Minister over the controversial issue of Siriwat's unfair transfer.

by Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation