Public Health minister Dr Cholnan Srikaew has defended his decision to appoint his wife, Dr Nuansakul Bamrungpong, as one of his advisors, insisting she has long experience in public health communications.
“The appointment will not create a conflict of interest and she will not receive a salary,” Cholnan said on Wednesday.
Dr Nuansakul Bumrungpong
He admitted that the decision poses a risk for him, but he trusts and has confidence in his wife. “She has been by my side for long time, including helping me in election campaigns,” he said.
Dr Nuansakul is assigned to help in the dissemination of public health and medical information, as well as solving any communication problems among the personnel and agencies of the ministry, Cholnan said.
She can help by organising training for nurses to increase their skills in communicating with patients, because she has expertise and experience in the field as a former director of the ministry’s Bureau of Information.
She will also handle the welfare for all personnel of the ministry, because she is a former director of community hospitals, Cholnan insisted.
Few people know about Dr. Nuansakul’s roles, although Cholnan was a Pheu Thai party leader and was at the forefront in forming a coalition with Move Forward at the core after the May general election.
During the election campaign, Cholnan said he would resign from the Pheu Thai leadership if his party formed the government with the Palang Pracharath and United Nation parties, which are its arch rivals.
After Move Forward failed, Pheu Thai, at the core, succeeded in forming the government after partnering with those two parties. Many called for Cholnan to keep his promise and he said he would, but only after the government is formed.
It was during that time that Nuansakul came out to defend her husband by writing on Cholnan’s Facebook page “he will certainly resign, don’t worry.”
After the government, led by Srettha Thavisin, took office, Cholnan resigned and was later appointed public health minister.
