Source: Health System Research Institute 02-951-1286-93 ต่อ 121, 135, 145/
Kom Chat Luk newspaper issue 9 September 2008 page 13
On August 8th, 2008, Mr. Chaovarat Chanweerakul, Minister of Public Health and Mr. Vicharn Minchainant, Deputy Minister of Public Health had a seminar meeting with public health professional organizations, health personnel from government and private organizations over 250 persons. The seminar aims to solve an insufficient health personnel for Ministry of Public Health and Government sector.

Mr. Chaovarat said that “the insufficient of health personnel is a crucial problem which has been a chronic problem for over 20 years. Recently, Thailand has medical doctor: population ratio at 1: 2,400 which is over the standard of 1: 1,500. The doctor in district hospital resigns 800 persons annually according to their high workload from universal healthcare coverage”.
Group Captain Dr.Ittaporn Kanacharoen, Assistant to Secretary General said, “the government should improve the quality of life of the doctors who work in district hospital, add incentive, reduce workload, especially resolve the medical sue. From the GIS information, it was found that there is only one doctor in 30 hospitals which has 30 beds in July 2008”.
The 30 district hospitals are Banluang district hospital, Namun district hospital, Bor-glur district hospital, Songkwae district hospital, Chalermprakiat district hospital at Nan province, Lam-ngob district hospital and Korkood district hospital at Trad province, Sahaskan district hospital and Mamon district hospital at Kalasin province, Kaoyoi district hospital and Kangkachan district hospital at Petchburi province, Kanghangmeaw district hospital and Kaosukim district hospital at Chantaburi province.

Dr. Pongthep Wongwacharapaiboon, Secretary General for the Rural Doctor Society said, “the solution is having more doctors who commit to work until their retirement in the district level, proposing the local government to have an ownership in the medical doctor scholarship by transferring funding supports of 1.8 million Baht to local government instead of to teaching hospital. Moreover, Dr. Wongwacharapaiboon suggested controlling the growth of private hospital to solve the draining problem especially the medical hub policy.

Dr. Kriengsak Vacharanukulkiat, Chairman of Rural Doctors Society said, the short term resolutions are to add the remuneration for public doctor to be 60% of private sector, doctors who work in a rural area should get higher remuneration than the urban one. In addition, there should be an increasing fine for medical student who breach contract.

Posted: September 16th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Activists fire tirade at EU trade rep for jumping on bandwagon with US

Pennapa Hongthong

The Nation

            Thailand’s use of compulsory licences to override patents on expensive but vital drugs now sees it at loggerheads with the European Union (EU)-as well as the US.

            Thai health activists and international health advocacy groups will send letters next week to try to find out why a key member of the European Commission recently sent a letter to the Commerce Minister protesting about Thailand’s move to issue compulsory licences to avoid drug patents.

            Lawan Saroval, deputy medicine co-ordinator at Medicines Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) Belgium in Thailand, said the move was to fight EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson.

            Mandelson broke a resolution of the EU Parliament issued on July 12, saying the EU would endorse developing countries’ right to fully implement a World Trade Organisation deal on intellectual property rights to promote access to medicines for all.

            On August 10, Mandelson sent a letter to Krirk-krai Jirapaet, saying the EU was concerned the Thai government’s move “would be detrimental to the patent system, and so to innovation and development of new medicine”.

            Lawan said MSF and Oxfam, one of the biggest non-government groups in the UK, would send a joint letter next week directly to Mandelson and the president of the European Parliament.

            “We want to know what is the motive behind Mandelson’s letter, what made him break the resolution of the EU.”

            Thai activists also plan to write a letter. Jiraporn Limpananond, chairman of the Foundation for Consumer, said Mandelson’s letter was an intervention in Thai affairs.  

            Public Health Minister Dr.Mongkol na Songkhla wrote back to Mandelson and the EU president on August 12 to explain the country’s policy on compulsory licensing (CL). He insisted that Thailand would purchase patented drugs if patent holders sell them at prices 5 percent above the lowest-priced generic.

            He also asked about the EU’s recommendations to implement compulsory licences, as many European countries have implemented them on medicines from the global biotechnology investment community.

            Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont called for an urgent meeting of all agencies on Friday to discuss the issue. Aside from the EU move, the PM also received a letter of protest last month from the US ambassador on the matter.

Posted: September 14th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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