Dr. Supat Urges MP Rukchanok to Probe Public Health Ministry's Event Budget
Former Rural Doctor Society president submits petition to House committee to investigate 500 million baht spent on organizing events using hospital funds.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Dr. Supat petitions House committee chaired by MP Rukchanok Srinork
- Demands investigation into Public Health Ministry event spending
- Nationwide event budget exceeds 500 million baht with 7 million in Phetchabun
At 9:30 AM on August 7, 2026, at the Thai Parliament, Ms. Rukchanok Srinork, a list-MP from the People's Party and chairperson of the House Committee on Budget House Monitoring, received a formal petition from Dr. Supat Hasuwannakit, former president of the Rural Doctor Society and former People's Party MP candidate.
The petition calls for an official inquiry into how the Ministry of Public Health utilizes its budget and off-budget funds to hire event organizers. Dr. Supat pointed out that numerous hospitals are currently facing critical financial situations with depleted maintenance funds, putting patient care operations at severe risk.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Dr. Supat further explained that despite financial strains in hospitals, the ministry continues to contract numerous organizers using hospital maintenance funds, raising red flags regarding operational efficiency and corruption risks. Data in his possession indicates that Phetchabun province alone spent no less than 7 million baht on events, while aggregate spending nationwide reaches at least 500 million baht.
"Organizing events is not wrong in itself if the public benefits. For instance, everyone knows that Phetchabun, where the events took place, is the stronghold of the Public Health Minister's father."
Rukchanok Srinork
The allocation of public health budgets and hospital maintenance funds is a critical issue in Thailand's healthcare sector. These maintenance funds are vital for provincial hospitals to procure medical supplies and sustain daily treatments. Diverting these funds toward commercial event organizers frequently triggers public scrutiny and parliamentary oversight regarding transparency and fiscal priority.
In response, Ms. Rukchanok accepted the petition and announced plans to table the issue at the committee meeting to summon data from the Ministry of Public Health. She highlighted suspicious budgeting patterns where individual projects are kept under 500,000 baht, clustering precisely at 490,000 baht, and added that the National Health Security Office (NHSO) financial management also warrants structural review.
Source: Khaosod Politics
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