HEALTH MINISTRY TO CLOSELY WATCH PURCHASE OF EXPENSIVE DEVICES

       Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai yesterday instructed top level health officials to watch closely the buying of expensive medical devices under the government's Thai Khemkhaeng (Invest for Strength )budget.
       "I will set up proactive measures to prevent corruption. If there is any corruption, I will kill it," he said.
       On Monday, he received complaints of a ministry letter ordering provincial public health offices to instruct rural hospital directors to purchase medical devices - the "UV fan" which kills micro bacteria in hospitals - at Bt 40,000 per each. The cost of the UV fan in the market ranges from Bt 20,000 to Bt40,000.
       Rural Doctor Society's chairperson, Dr Kriangsak Watcharanukulkiet said he had received complaints from several rural hospitals over the ministry's letter ordering purchase of the UV fan from a private manufacturer.
       The letter attached the name of a UV fan manufacturer and recommended to rural hospitals the price of Bt 40,000.
       Kriangsak said hospitals in Maha Sarakham, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Khaen and Songkhla were told to purchase 56, 58, 20, and 16 UV fans, respectively.
       " Of course, some hospitals need to purchase this medical device - but why is there only one supplier's name attached to the ministry's letter? The ministry said it was displaying the UV fan's details for rural hospitals so they can make their own decision about whether to buy it or not," he said.
       "We will keep a close eye on this issue as we don't want low level public health officials becoming an instrument for politicians to exploit over the Thai Khemkhaeng (TKK) project ," he added.
       Witthaya explained that under the TKK project, the government has allocated Bt86 billion to the Public Health Ministry which will budget Bt 45million to provincial public health offices across country to buy UV fans.
       He said he had ordered senior health officials to investigate allegations the ministry may have also set price specifications for respirators under the TKK budget.
       Dr Paijit Warachit will be the key man to investigate this complaint when he takes over as the ministry's permanent secretary.
       He said he has allowed hospital directors across the country to make their own decisions on whether or not to buy the respirators under this project. If there is any scandal over price setting, the hospital director must take responsibility for it.
       "So far, I have not established any ministry committee setting [price] specifications for the respirator," he said.
       When asked about complaints about an adviser who might be involved in the suspect ministry UV fan purchase order, Witthaya said some advisers are physicians and may have interest conflicts with someone else.
       " Don't look at them with a pessimistic view," he said.
       Witthaya has asked health officials who may have information to contact him and he would scrutinise the issue with utmost transparency.