Anutin takes aim at NHSO

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul yesterday vowed to bring transparency to the National Health Security Office (NHSO) and warned the agency to be prepared for intense scrutiny in the wake of a huge fraud scandal.

Speaking after meeting with NHSO executives, Mr Anutin said he had told the NHSO to brace for close examination by his office after community health clinics were accused of swindling 72 million baht from the 30-baht universal health plan in fraudulent patient claims.

Mr Anutin said the meeting was held to let NHSO management understand the seriousness of the issue, to prepare for intense scrutiny and clarify any and all questions asked of it.

He said he was also looking into reports about former NHSO executives who left and then set up a company to do business with the office. He said the issue has called into question the NHSO’s good governance.

“This issue is serious and public suspicions are growing,’ he said. “I also have questions and those in charge have to make themselves clear.”

Police are investigating claims that community health clinics in Bangkok, operating under the government’s 30-baht scheme, made fraudulent claims for treatments which never existed.

These clinics allegedly listed false names for several thousand nonexistent patients, who they reported to have received medical examinations, then used the reports to claim the money back.

The NHSO lodged a complaint against 18 health clinics in Bangkok related to an alleged fraud that it says was committed from Oct 1, 2018 to Sept 30 last year.