Ammar takes flak for job as UC row arbiter

Ammar takes flak for job as UC row arbiter

The public health permanent secretary is opposing prominent economist Ammar Siamwalla's role in solving a row over the universal healthcare scheme, voicing concern over potential conflicts of interest.

Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin has asked Mr Ammar to lead a probe panel to look into the conflict between the ministry and the National Health Security Office (NHSO) over budget management under the scheme, also known as Universal Coverage (UC).

Narong: Fears conflict of interest

The move worries public health permanent-secretary Narong Sahametapat because Mr Ammar was a former member of the NHSO board, which he said raises question over his impartiality.

Mr Ammar played a key role in setting policies and regulations for NHSO financial issues between 2007 and 2010.

"He may be considered as a stakeholder [in the argument] and not appropriate to lead the probe panel," Dr Narong said in a letter to Dr Rajata yesterday.

A replacement for Mr Ammar is needed to ensure neutrality, Dr Narong insisted.

The UC, introduced 12 years ago, grants 48 million people free access to medical services.

The scheme has drawn praise from patients, but left many issues for authorities and medical staff to deal with, including worries over budget constraints and disbursement after the Budget Bureau cut the UC's budget from 183.1 million baht to 153.2 billion baht for 2015.

The financial concerns caused the Public Health Ministry's Permanent Secretary's Office, which oversees 884 state hospitals nationwide, to demand changes in budget distribution.

But the NHSO, together with health advocates, opposes this move. Among their reasons is that the UC's founding principles aim to separate the roles of healthcare service providers and purchasers and so authorises the NHSO, as a separate entity, to oversee the budget.

Amid the ongoing row, deputy permanent secretary for public health Wachira Phenchan has suggested Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha chair the National Health Authority Directing Board to ensure national health policy "unity".

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