The health minister yesterday dismissed criticism from legislators that he had intervened in Hospital Authority matters by asking it to take 'drastic measures' to meet the government's spending targets.
Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food Yeoh Eng-kiong said achieving spending cuts of 11 per cent over five years, and a proposal to cut pay for some hospital staff, were 'two completely different issues'.
He said the proposed pay cut was based on the requirement that the pay and allowances of staff hired after 1998 be comparable with those of civil servants.
Minutes of an authority meeting in December show Dr Yeoh had asked the authority to take 'drastic measures' to achieve the required spending cuts if negotiations for more funding failed.
He also said the government would work closely with the authority to handle all 'emerging political challenges'.
'I was talking about drastic measures in the longer term, which may also include a review of the authority's services. I was not saying it had to fire staff or cut their pay,' he said yesterday. 'I don't think I am interfering in the authority's operations. I have the responsibility to oversee the authority.'
