Health Minister Orders Audit of 60 Billion Baht Budget

Health Minister Phattana Prom-phattan has ordered an audit of approximately 60 billion baht in National Health Security Office (NHSO) funds, demanding clarification within 7 days on which agencies received the money and whether it was spent efficiently. This follows the minister's statement that the national health security budget was not distributed through the Health Ministry's system, despite the ministry being the primary healthcare provider, raising questions about where the funds were allocated and for what purposes.

On August 3, 2025, following a meeting of the NHSO board, the minister stated the issue concerns the 2024 fiscal year budget that still requires clarification. He assigned Manida Phu-charoen, head of the Finance Subcommittee, to provide detailed explanations within 7 days. Preliminary findings indicate 16,000-17,000 million baht was distributed to Health Ministry-affiliated agencies outside the ministry's main office, including approximately 11,000 million baht to Rajavithi Hospital specifically for medicine procurement that cannot be used for other purposes, with the remaining 5,000 million baht entering the ministry's system.

Additionally, over 20,000 million baht in health promotion and disease prevention funds, plus other fund allocations, require detailed review. The minister emphasized the need to know not just where money went, but the nature of recipient organizations—whether they are legal entities, foundations, or clinics—and how effectively funds were spent. He stated the audit will prioritize spending efficiency over fraud detection initially, though any suspicious findings will be investigated further. The minister clarified that the 60 billion baht is not "missing" but rather requires clarification on how it was distributed and its impact on the healthcare system.