3 July 1999

Onerous task ahead for the new Secretary for Health and Welfare

(keywords:- Yeoh, professional, Hospital Authority, reform)

          The announcement of the appointment of the current Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (HA) to take over the helm of the Health and Welfare Bureau upon the retirement of the incumbent Secretary has attracted widespread acclamation and concern. The whole movement has greatly departed from the norm -- a professional is appointed instead of a generalists and an "outsider" is engaged instead of from "within the rank".

          For years, there has been a call to have a professional with health care knowhow to lead our health care system and update our health care policy. Today, more than ever such a professional helmsman is vital as Hong Kong is about to embark on a major health care reform. Further, this move could well demonstrate Government's determination for "the best person for the job".

          Yet the same reasons also raise concern. Will a profession assimilate comfortably in the bureaucracy of government system? Will an outsider be easily acceptable as he is not "one of us"? Time only will tell. Irrespective, Dr E K Yeoh should be given the best of chance and good will to make the system work!

          Many question the possibility of a conflict of interest on moving from his current job to the next. Yet, it must be the integrity of any person taking up a senior public position to apply wisdom and the best of his ability to discharge his duties in the most fair manner regardless of what his previous jobs were. Dr Yeoh should be no exception. Nor should there be a fear of a "medical dominance" in the governmental hierarchy for health. For the role of the Secretary for Health Welfare is that of policy maker, not a medical doctor, for which his medical background will give him a better understanding.

          For the HA, It is essential to instigate an immediate open recruitment to choose the best person for the post of Chief Executive. It is perhaps high time too, with the new chief, that the HA Board should re-examine its position and role. Whilst it is obvious that the day to day running of HA is the job of the new chief, yet the Board is entrusted to manage the HA. Few would, therefore, disagree that other than making policy decisions for the HA, the Board is the main link between the organisation, the public and the Government, in particular through its Chairman. The success of the future HA depends very much on such working partnership of the HA chief and its Chairman. This Dr Yeoh is fully aware. It will be within his power to see it materialise, for in his new post, he will be the person not only to offer blessing to the new HA chief, but also to nominate the future Chairman.

          Much will depend on how Dr Yeoh, as the linchpin of Hong Kong's health care, shapes the health care reform and brings it to effect. Much will also depend on how he, with his medical background, will move the players of public health care to work with one another and to have the public health sector to cooperate with the private counterpart.

          The contribution of the outgoing health chief, Mrs Katherine Fok, should not be forgotten. It is no easy task for a health chief to straddle a political transition with surging public demand for social support amidst economic stumble. Long will she also be remembered as the health chief of a quarter of century to have the political determination to call for a total health care reform, which hopefully will bear fruit in her successor's hands!

(Hongkong Standard)