Dr Supreeda appointed as new ThaiHealth Manager
Various views about ThaiHealth
ThaiHealth committee chairman Adm Narong has set guidelines for the nomination and appointment of seven ThaiHealth committee members and urged “transparency, with no external influences”, appointed Dr Udomsil Srisangnam as the head of the selection committee, while reiterating that the selection process must conclude within 30 days | ThaiHealth board gave green light, appointed Dr Supreeda as the organisation’s new manager.
January 22 – Deputy Prime Minister Adm Narong Pipatanasai, in his capacity as chairman of the committee of Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), revealed after concluding a selection committee meeting of 1/2016 that, the meeting agreed to appoint the second vice chairman and the seven committee members to substitute the vacant seats. The meeting validated Prof Dr Udomsil Srisangnam, ThaiHealth fund consultant, to be the head of the selection committee. The newly appointed seven committee members are Mrs Prapasri Boonwises, representative of the Office of the Permanent Secretary of Prime Minister’s Office; Mr Rapheephan Sariwat, former Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office; Mrs Ticha na Nakorn, specialised committee member; Assoc Prof Dr Wittaya Kulsomboon, former member of the National Reform Council (NRC); Dr Sirikiat Liangkobkit, Director of ThaiHealth Health Risk Control II Section; and ThaiHealth manager, as well as additional appointed officials as secretaries.
“There have been calls from ThaiHealth partners under the spotlighted issue that the appointment of specialised committee members could be affected by the political or cigarette business influences. I urge the selection committee to do everything they can to make the selection process transparent with no external influences or any conflict of interests, for the sake of smooth operation of ThaiHealth,” said Adm Narong.
As for the selection process, Adm Narong added that every single procedure of the appointment of the specialised committee members were open for nomination through the media and the organisation’s web site, to allow other organisations and interested public to nominate suitable persons for the positions. The selection committee considered the possible candidates and nominated at more than doubled number of the vacant seats. The name of the finalists were then selected at the discretion of the board. Finally, the cabinet would approve the appointment shortly after. The selection process took place within 30 days. However, in order to make the selection process transparent and legislatively correct, the ThaiHealth board submitted an urgent request to the Office of the Council of State for a review whether the dismissed specialised committee members could return to their posts after their dismissal according to NCPO order number 1/2559, including possible issues according to the law, so as to ensure lawful conducts of the selection process.
In addition, the ThaiHealth chairman added that the meeting also agreed on the proposal of the selection committee to appoint Deputy ThaiHealth Manager, Dr Supreeda Adulyanont, as the new ThaiHealth Manager.
Dr Supreeda Adulyanont was born on July 23, 1960. He graduated dentistry from Mahidol University, and a doctorate in Epidemiology and Public Health from MPH University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of London. As for his management experience, he has been appointed a deputy dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, Khon Kaen University (1997-1999), director of ThaiHealth Health Risk Control Section (2003-2013), deputy ThaiHealth manager (2007 to date). He has been awarded the outstanding government official at Khon Kaen University (2000, 2002), distinguished member of the Dental Council (2001-2004), and head of the pedagogical committee of the 21st IUHPE World Conference on Health Promotion (2013).
As for the scrutiny of budgeting issues by the Monitoring and Auditing Committee on Fiscal Expenditures, Adm Narong said that the meeting had already sought a way to accelerate the procedures, which will be reported directly to the Prime Minister so that the Prime Minister will abolish the budget control imposed by the Monitoring and Auditing Committee on Fiscal Expenditures. However, after the appointment of the new specialised committee members, ThaiHealth’s role will be revised so that its operational duties are clearer.
Dr Supreeda Adulyanont, the newly appointed ThaiHealth Manager, meanwhile, expressed gratitude to the committee head and all members of the selection committee for their confidence in appointing him the manager of the organisation. However, as for the tax issues, he said ThaiHealth has always understood and tried to resolve this issue with the Department of Revenue. ThaiHealth and the Department of Revenue would organise a meeting soon to try to seek mutual solutions as tax is a sensitive, detailed matter and it involves the law. On ThaiHealth’s side, it would propose that the law governing other public funds should be applied to ThaiHealth like it has always been for 13 years, by categorising partners into two types – ones that are strictly obliged to pay taxes, and others that act on behalf of ThaiHealth for the sake of the public. He said that ThaiHealth and its partners have never been deliberate on evading tax and hoped that the scrutiny would be considered based on the true nature of operations.
