Health workers don’t want Anutin back as minister

Doctors’ group says four-year tenure showed Bhumjaithai leader was unfit for the role

A doctors’ group says its members will not support the possible return of Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul as public health minister, saying he is unfit for the position.

The Mor Mai Thon (Doctors Won’t Tolerate This) group posted the statement on the We, The People Facebook page on Saturday morning, saying its medical personnel members no longer wish to work under Mr Anutin.

They claim that over the past four years in the position, the construction billionaire has proven to be inappropriate for the role.

They accuse Mr Anutin of lacking a necessary understanding of the Thai public health system, leading to its deterioration and resulting in the loss of lives due to his ineffective management of Covid-19 vaccinations.

The announcement further criticised his orders to expedite the use of medical marijuana, delayed budgetary decisions leading to impaired healthcare services, including slowed access to safe abortions, and mismanagement resulting in the mass resignation of medical workers.

The group highlighted Mr Anutin’s response to the resignations, when he said: “Nothing can be done at this time, they can only pack up and leave.”

The statement concluded by saying that Mor Mai Thon members would not be able to continue under Mr Anutin’s administration if he returns to government, and they do not wish for him to serve as the public health minister.

During his term as minister, Mr Anutin also had a rocky relationship with the Rural Doctors Society (RDS), an influential group that was highly critical of his policies.

The relationship worsened further when the ministry ordered an investigation into Dr Supat Hasuwannakit, the RDS president, who had earlier been transferred from his post as director of Chana Hospital in Songkhla. Dr Supat had been a vocal critic of Bhumjaithai’s policy to decriminalise cannabis.

The Mor Mai Thon statement was issued just ahead of talks between the Pheu Thai Party and Bhumjaithai about the setup of a new government on Saturday afternoon. At that meeting, Mr Anutin reiterated his party’s position that it would not be part of any government that contained the election-winning Move Forward Party.

But as far as voting for a Pheu Thai prime ministerial nominee is concerned, the Bhumjaithai leader said the two parties were still in discussions about it.