Summary of the case: Was Dr. Supat's procurement of ATKs against regulations or a political fallout? Recently, the Ministry of Public Health upheld the decision to dismiss him from government service. The People’s Party insists he still holds the status of an MP candidate and will pursue all legal avenues if the dismissal is unjust.
This case has drawn significant public attention in the final stretch before the 2026 election. The 2026 general election. On 22 Jan 2026, the Subcommittee on Civil Servants of the Ministry of Public Health voted 4 to 3 to dismiss Dr. Supat Hasuwannakit, former chairman of the Rural Doctors Association and former director of Saba Yoi Hospital in Songkhla Province, from government service over irregularities in the procurement of COVID-19 ATK test kits. Currently, Dr. Supat has resigned from government service to run for MP of Songkhla District 2 under the People's Party. People's Party.
This decision has raised questions from Dr. Supat himself, the People's Party, and many public sectors about whether it is related to "politics." This is because Dr. Supat's dismissal could disqualify him from running for MP under Section 98 of the 2017 Constitution, which prohibits candidates who have been dismissed from government service.
The timeline of "Dr. Supat" from a rural doctor hero storming Bangkok to being dismissed from government service — what happened? Thairath Online special news team Chronological timeline
During the COVID-19 outbreak in July 2021, Dr. Supat Hasuwannakit, chairman of the Rural Doctors Association and director of Chana Hospital, Songkhla at the time, led a team of rural doctors in the project “Rural Doctors Storming Bangkok.” They coordinated health personnel from various provinces to Bangkok, a COVID-19 hotspot, and procured ATKs to screen people in crowded communities.
Dr. Supat revealed that the "Rural Doctors Storming Bangkok" project happened three times. He signed ATK purchases (on behalf of Chana Hospital) five times, screening a total of 192,905 people, identifying infected cases and distributing medicine to 22,451 patients as follows:
First round: On 14-16 July 2021, ATKs were purchased with a budget not exceeding 2 million baht at 230 baht per piece, acquiring 8,695 kits. These were distributed among six hospitals involved in the operation. When supplies ran low, two more hospitals purchased additional kits to meet demand. Over three days, 19,871 people were screened.
Second round: On 21-23 July 2021, Chana Hospital purchased ATKs with a budget not exceeding 2 million baht at 230 baht per piece, acquiring 8,695 kits. Screening covered 31,518 people, involving 16 hospitals in the operation, with four hospitals jointly purchasing ATKs.
Third round: On 4-10 August 2021, Dr. Kiatphum Wongrajit, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, personally signed an invitation, leading to 41 teams joining. Chana Hospital and several community hospitals each purchased ATKs worth 2 million baht, but demand exceeded supply.
Chana Hospital made a second purchase on 7 August and a third on 9 August, totaling three purchases of 25,464 kits, using ATKs to screen 141,516 people.
On 1 September 2022, Mr. Supachai Jaisamut, list MP of the Bhumjaithai Party, filed a complaint with the Health Commission to investigate Dr. Supat as the owner of the "Rural Doctors" page, for posts accusing that transfers within the Ministry of Public Health were manipulated, violating good governance, issuing policies corrupting youth, and lacking control. The posts were deemed untrue and insulting to superiors, defaming the party that issued cannabis policies, while also claiming the rural doctors' work during COVID-19 was not according to regulations.
Later, on 25 January 2023, Ministry Order No. 125/2566 transferred civil servants, including Dr. Supat, who was transferred from Chana Hospital to Saba Yoi Hospital. Some viewed this as routine rotation, while others suspected political motives.
Dr. Supat stated he was willing to fulfill duties but insisted the transfer was unfair. He believed the disciplinary investigation, ongoing for over two years, was due to his opposition to cannabis legalization and criticism of the Ministry of Public Health.
Between 13-17 February 2023, the Ministry’s internal audit team inspected Chana Hospital, describing it as a general audit and reported results to the then Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health.
Until 17 May 2023, the Ministry of Public Health established a serious disciplinary investigation committee against Dr. Supat regarding procurement and approval of ATK test kits in five purchases, each under 2 million baht, suspected of splitting purchases to circumvent procurement rules, which violated the Ministry of Finance regulations on procurement and government property management of 2017, allegedly benefiting private parties and causing severe damage to the government.
On 16 August 2025, Dr. Supat posted news that he was about to be dismissed from government service, accused of serious disciplinary violations relating to the "Rural Doctors Storming Bangkok" operation, posting documents clarifying that the ATKs procured were Medical Grade, WHO-certified, denying any favoritism toward private companies, having negotiated a price of 230 baht per kit, below the market price of 350 baht at that time, and below the NHSO reimbursement rate of 450 baht per test.
He further insisted that the purchases were not split but were emergency procurements based on situational needs, without knowing if the estimated ATKs would suffice because other hospitals also purchased, and the number of service recipients was unlimited. Purchases followed the Public Procurement Act Section 56 (2) (d) and Notification W.115, which allows direct procurement in emergencies.
However, on 23 September 2025, the investigation committee submitted a report recommending dismissal to the Ministry of Public Health, which approved it and forwarded it to the screening committee before the Subcommittee on Civil Servants meeting on 4 December 2025.
Dr. Supat resigned as director of Saba Yoi Hospital on 16 December and registered as an MP candidate for Songkhla District 2 under the People's Party.
On 22 January 2026, the Subcommittee on Civil Servants voted 4 to 3 to dismiss Dr. Supat from government service. The four votes for dismissal were from Mr. Pattana Promphat, Minister of Public Health, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, the Director-General of the Department of Health, and the Director-General of the Department of Mental Health, while the three opposing votes were from external experts. However, the expert committee from the Civil Service Commission requested to reconsider the case in the full Civil Service Commission, delaying a final conclusion.
This case led Dr. Supat, the People's Party, and supporting groups to question whether this decision was politically motivated to disqualify him, while the Minister of Public Health insisted that the process followed proper procedures and denied any political orders, stating he was unaware of Dr. Supat's candidacy.
Despite the Minister's clarification, tensions remained high. On 28 January 2026, the Ministry of Public Health issued another statement affirming that all actions complied with government regulations, procedures, and laws, citing past cases where civil servants committing similar procurement violations were punished by dismissal.
Mr. Kettkaew Khaosai, Director of the Discipline Standards and Integrity Bureau, Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, stated that the severity of the punishment depends on the evidence and the investigation committee's judgment, and in Dr. Supat's case, the penalty was appropriate.
Regarding Dr. Supat's claim that the Subcommittee’s decision could be void since it must await the full Civil Service Commission’s review, Mr. Kettkaew explained that legally, waiting for the full commission is not necessary; the Ministry must only report the order to the full commission. If the full commission later makes a different decision, the Ministry must comply accordingly.
Meanwhile, Dr. Somruk Jungsaman, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, revealed that the Subcommittee’s decision content cannot yet be publicly disclosed. The Deputy Permanent Secretary for legal affairs will sign off, with actions to be completed swiftly and submitted to the Civil Service Commission within 15 days. Once signed, the decision will be notified to Dr. Supat.
Meanwhile, the People's Party responded by reaffirming that Dr. Supat still legally holds the status of MP candidate because the Permanent Secretary has not yet signed the dismissal order. Even if signed later, Dr. Supat remains a candidate until the Supreme Court issues a ruling.
The People's Party also called for further investigation into how Dr. Supat’s ATK procurement caused government damage and whether the selling company benefited improperly. They urged comparisons with procurement data from other agencies. If the Permanent Secretary signs the dismissal unjustly, the party will pursue all legal channels.
On 27 January 2026, Dr. Ekaphop Pienpiset, list MP candidate of Bhumjaithai Party, formerly of the Future Forward Party and former Health Commission member, affirmed that the Subcommittee’s decision was normal procedure, not political persecution.
Dr. Ekaphop cited that in 2021, the government approved about 1 billion baht for the NHSO to purchase 8.5 million ATKs, with Rajavithi Hospital conducting procurement because NHSO lacked authority. Before tender opening, the committee, including two former Rural Doctors Association chairs, set conditions requiring only WHO-certified test kits, which did not reflect superior quality beyond FDA standards. This limited options, favoring private suppliers with ready stock.
He added that later, the Government Pharmaceutical Organization disagreed with special procurement, removing the WHO condition, resulting in more qualifying products available at 70 baht per kit, below the median price of 120 baht and market prices of 200–300 baht at that time.
However, Chana Hospital purchased ATKs at about 250 baht per kit, despite the government recently buying at lower prices. This misled the public to think the hospital bought cheaper than the government’s 300-400 baht price, but the latter was the NHSO’s reimbursement fee paid back to hospitals.
Dr. Ekaphop also pointed out irregularities in Dr. Supat’s contracts as Chana Hospital director, where contracts were capped below 2 million baht to avoid authority limits, with contracts signed before and on procurement announcement dates, raising suspicions.
However, the Rural Doctors Association responded by clarifying that the ATKs used in the "Rural Doctors Storming Bangkok" were Standard Q brand, Medical Grade with high accuracy, unlike the Chinese ATKs procured by NHSO for home use, which later showed high error rates. For example, in one case of 1,000 people tested, 187 were positive by ATK but only 92 confirmed by RT-PCR, showing significant inaccuracy.
Meanwhile, Mr. Athukkit Saengsuk, a well-known columnist, also rebutted Dr. Ekaphop, stating that the sequence of events was incorrect: the Rural Doctors Storming Bangkok occurred first, followed by the NHSO’s purchase of 8.5 million ATKs.