Sacked hospital director Supat’s electoral candidacy in doubt

People’s Party candidate insists he’s still eligible to stand in Hat Yai

Former rural doctors leader Supat Hasuwannakit insisted on Monday he remains eligible to seek election under the People’s Party banner in Songkhla province, arguing that his dismissal from the civil service is not yet final. 

Dr Supat said he was still the People’s Party candidate in Songkhla’s constituency 2, saying the move to “cut me off at the knees” was still not finalised. 

His Facebook post followed a decision by a health ministry subcommittee to dismiss him from the civil service for alleged irregularities in the procurement of anti-gen test kits (ATKs) during the covid-19 pandemic in 2021. He was accused of splitting it into five purchases, instead of buying in one lot, in violation of the requisite laws.

Dr Supat denied any wrongdoing and defended his decision to buy the kits in smaller quantities as a fair response to a health emergency due to the rapid spread of the virus.

The purchase was made when he was the director of Chana Hospital in Songkhla. He was transferred to Saba Yoi Hospital in Saba Yoi district in the same province in 2023 to pave the way for the investigation.

The Public Health Ministry formed a panel to look into the ATK procurement case in 2023 and the subcommittee meeting last Thursday decided to dismiss him.

Dr Supat told Channel 3 on Monday the real transfer motive was his opposition to the liberalisation of marijuana when the Bhumjaithai Party controlled the ministry with Anutin Charnvirakul as the minister.

Dr Supat resigned from Saba Yoi  Hospital in December to represent the People’s Party in the Feb 8 general election in Hat Yai. He was tipped as a favourite because he is a Hat Yai native and for his work as a doctor in Songkhla.

He said there was a political motive behind the decision to dismiss him from the civil service less than two weeks before the general election. It followed criticism by him and former leader of the banned Future Forward Party Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit of the Bhumjaithai-led government’s failure to deliver the promised budget for residents in Hat Yai to repair their houses after the severe flooding in November.

“What’s a coincidence?” he wrote.

– Narrow decision – 

The subcommittee resolution on Jan 22 to dismiss him was passed by only one vote, 4-3.  It was made retroactive to before he resigned to enter politics.

The initial vote deadlocked at 3-3 – the three ministry officials voting for his dismissal and  three outsiders, including the one from the Civil Service Commission (CSC), voting against it,  according to Dr Supat. Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat, as ex-officio chairman, cast the deciding vote, he said. 

Mr Pattana, a member of the Bhumjaithai Party, on Monday confirmed that he cast the decisive vote to sack Dr Supat, but he denied a political motive.

The manner of Dr Supat’s dismissal has sparked debate on whether he can stand for election on Feb 8, as the constitution bans officials sacked from the civil service running for a seat in parliament.

Dr Supat argued that the process had still not reached the final stage as the CSC representative on the ministry subcommittee had decided to refer the case to the commission for reconsideration.

Passakorn Siripakayaporn, deputy secretary-general of the Election Commission, told reporters the EC’s director responsible for the constituency where Dr Supat had registered as a candidate had the authority to ask the Supreme Court to consider the subcommittee’s decision and clarify his status.