"Kungfu Wasawat" urged the Ministry of Public Health to create an inventory of medical equipment and urgently improve the budget for developing small hospitals to reduce overcrowding and long patient wait times. He also called for governance oversight of personnel after frequent political interference led to transfers.
On 13 August 2026 at 13:02 at the Parliament building, during the special committee meeting to consider the 2027 fiscal year budget bill, Mr. Wasawat Puangpornsi, Secretary-General of the Thai Ruam Palang Party and a committee member, said that he wants the Ministry of Public Health to establish a medical equipment inventory. This would allow various subcommittees to review the 2028 budget, especially for frequently repurchased medical devices such as mannequins and various projection equipment, which fall outside the budget bureau’s scope and are managed by the Comptroller General’s Department. He also urged the National Health Security Office (NHSO) to speed up fund transfers as part of a new policy.
Mr. Wasawat also spoke about main hospitals and district hospitals, saying that if their capacity is enhanced, it would reduce overcrowding at large hospitals. Patients would not all have to gather at big hospitals alone. For example, small district hospitals without improvement budgets have to refer patients to regional hospitals, which then refer them to provincial hospitals, resulting in long wait times for the public.
Regarding the Mini Thanyarak drug rehabilitation project, he said he had monitored it and considers it a good initiative under the Department of Medical Services. He urged attention to centers urgently needing development, such as the one in Si Ratana Hospital, Sisaket Province in the lower northeastern region, which is overcrowded. This has caused medical staff to feel unsafe because the number of drug rehabilitation patients is overwhelming. He was distressed by the cramped facilities and the lack of budget for building construction.
Additionally, Mr. Wasawat encouraged the Mental Health Department regarding MCATT, which sends teams to care for the public. While they are doing good work, he suggested monthly follow-ups on affected individuals in crisis cases, such as the incident where a 10-year-old child driving hit a monk, to assess the impact. He also asked the Ministry of Public Health to oversee governance issues among personnel, as political interference often results in unfair transfers—for example, staff from Sisaket Hospital being moved to Ranong. He expressed sympathy for hospital directors dedicated to their work who face political transfers unjustly.