BANGKOK: Senior Public Health Ministry officials on Wednesday (Jan 28) rejected claims that they acted on political orders to remove a People’s Party candidate from the civil service, saying disciplinary proceedings against Supat Hasuwannakit had reached their conclusion under a normal timeline.
The People’s Party, however, accused the ministry of taking a calculated step to disqualify its candidate for Songkhla’s Constituency 2 and vowed to challenge any order through every available mechanism.
Supat Hasuwannakit (pic), the former director of Chana Hospital in Songkhla, has resigned from government service and is contesting the election as the People’s Party’s candidate in Songkhla Constituency 2.
In an urgent press conference on 28 January 2026, the ministry said it had not previously given a detailed public explanation because the matter is classified as an “official secret”.
The briefing was led by the Permanent Secretary for Public Health, Dr Somruek Chuengsaman, alongside Dr Amporn Benjaponpitak (Director-General, Department of Health), Dr Kittisak Aksornwong (Director-General, Department of Mental Health), and Ketkaew Kaewsai (Director, Bureau of Disciplinary Standards and Merit System, Office of the Permanent Secretary).
They said they could not disclose the details of the vote by the ministry’s civil service sub-committee because it is classified, but insisted that Supat still has multiple routes to seek redress through established procedures.
Two-year process and timeline “followed the law”, officials say
Ketkaew said the case had proceeded in line with legal requirements and that the timeline was standard for disciplinary action, particularly once a matter enters the screening stage and must be forwarded to the sub-committee.
He said this was why the case was placed on the agenda for 22 January 2026, adding that it is now at the stage of issuing a formal disciplinary penalty order in line with the committee’s resolution. He also said extensions were sought and approved under normal legal provisions.
Allegations focus on ATK procurement at Chana Hospital
The ministry said the serious disciplinary inquiry panel had submitted its conclusions to the sub-committee, and the Permanent Secretary summarised the findings that could be disclosed.
According to the panel’s findings, Supat — while serving as director of Chana Hospital — approved the procurement of medical scientific supplies, including ATK rapid antigen test kits, in five separate purchases valued at no more than two million baht (US$64,661) each. The panel described this as “split procurement”, alleging it breached the Ministry of Finance’s 2017 public procurement regulations.
The panel also alleged the purchases caused serious damage to the public service and were not handled in line with required criteria, including claims that reporting and approval were not sought promptly after the items had been purchased and used. The ministry said the inquiry panel completed its work in late February 2025 and recommended dismissal from the civil service.
On media reports focusing on ATK pricing, the ministry said pricing was not the issue proposed by the inquiry panel, though it appeared in the case file, and that it would issue documentation related to ATK purchases by the Government Pharmaceutical Organization in 2021.
Covid “crisis procurement” rules considered, officials say
Asked whether the procurement occurred during the Covid-19 crisis and should be treated as exempt, Ketkaew said the inquiry panel had considered the relevant emergency procurement criteria and weighed evidence before reaching its conclusion.
He said the crisis rules were designed to speed up procurement by reducing steps that typically require prior approval, but still require reporting to superiors after goods are put into use.
Officials deny political pressure and reject “rushed meeting” claims
The officials also dismissed suggestions that the sub-committee moved hastily or under political pressure.
They said sub-committee meetings are held monthly and the agenda typically covers personnel administration and disciplinary matters. Dr Amporn said she had known the meeting schedule in advance and joined remotely while travelling for official duties in Trang, rejecting claims that she was unaware of the meeting.
Dr Somruek said the ministry had also used a screening committee to review the case before it reached the sub-committee, and argued that delaying beyond the required timeline could itself be deemed a failure to perform official duties.
Dr Kittisak said there was no “order” from any political figure, insisting the process had been reviewed by legal officers and had involved more than one committee over more than two years.
People’s Party calls it a bid to disqualify candidate
Late on Tuesday (27 January 2026), the People’s Party issued a statement after reports that the Public Health Ministry’s civil service sub-committee — chaired by Phatthana Phromphat, the Public Health Minister and a Bhumjaithai Party list-MP candidate — had passed a majority resolution on 22 January to dismiss Supat from government service.
The party said Supat remains a lawful candidate for Songkhla Constituency 2 unless and until the Supreme Court orders otherwise. It added that if the ministry issues a dismissal order on the grounds of serious disciplinary misconduct, it and Supat will contest the case through internal civil-service processes, through the constituency-level election process, and through the courts, citing facts, law, and Constitutional Court precedents.
The party also argued that because Supat has already resigned from government service, the timing of the move raised questions, and said it would fight “to the utmost” if it believed the order was unlawful, unfair, or intended to prevent him from remaining a candidate.
Party to respond at noon
The People’s Party has scheduled a press conference for Wednesday (28 January) at 12.00pm at its headquarters, where it plans to respond to the ministry and reiterate that Supat remains an MP candidate, and that it is prepared to fight the case to the end if he is dismissed at this stage. - The Nation/ANN
