WITH THE cooperation and help of three public agencies, a Bangkok hospital is now ready to purchase medicines to supply hospitals nationwide, less than two months after the Auditor-General declared the previous approach illegal and sent Thailand’s medical institutions into a panic.

A smooth transition of central procurement of medical supplies is now underway as Rajavithi Hospital assumes the mantle of purchasing medicine for hospitals and some other medical organisations nationwide.

The transition involves a joint operation centre with the participation of the National Health Security Office (NHSO), Public Health Ministry, and the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO).

The representatives of NHSO, GPO, and Rajavithi Hospital yesterday publicly confirmed that Rajavithi Hospital is ready to perform its new duty as medical supplies procurer as the baton was passed from the previous procurer, the NHSO, at the beginning of this fiscal year on October 1. The representatives said the process now in place would not only relieve fears of a medicine shortage, but would also increase participation from key medical stakeholders and still manage to reduce costs.

The Auditor-General earlier this year said that it was against the law for NHSO to purchase medical supplies and act as procurer for medicines, which must instead be done by agencies acting under the supervision of the Public Health Ministry. The order caused panic, as the NHSO had been acknowledged to be highly competent at keeping down the cost of expensive pharmaceuticals through bulk buying and tough negotiating.

Rajavithi Hospital director Dr Manas Photarom is confident his hospital is ready to take on the responsibility of procurement, with the transitioning help of the joint operations centre. “Even though we were not expecting to do this task, we have ensured that now Rajavithi Hospital is ready to be the national medical supplies procurer,” he said. “We have a mission to make sure that there will not be any medicine shortages and that the hospitals will get top quality but cheap medicines.”

GPO managing director Dr Nopporn Cheanklin said the transition would actually improve the central medicine procurement system because all stakeholders will take part in the medical supplies procurement plan. In the previous approach, the NHSO had sole authority to plan for purchase of medical supplies.

Nopporn acknowledged the public’s concern that the tight regulations now in place may affect the purchase of some expensive or rare medicines. He insisted that the GPO would do whatever it takes to ensure patients will get all necessary medicines.

The GPO will play an active role in helping Rajavithi Hospital purchase medical supplies, ensure quality and bargain for a fair price.