In 2002, when he was Health Minister, Lim Hng Kiang imposed a rule that barred parents who had admitted to Class A ward to deliver their baby from downgrading should the baby subsequently need extended stay requiring ICU. Apparently, many parents were doing that as they faced a hefty bill if they continued in the Class A ward.
One day, a Malaysian couple found themselves in this predicament and Lim in a rare display of benevolence, waived the rules and allowed the downgrade to KK Hospital.
It turned out that the baby required prolonged stay and treatment due to severe complications. The bill (unsubsidised) ran up to $300k and the couple - as you and I would - had difficulty paying.
Recounting this case, Lim subsequently said he regretted allowing the downgrade and should have let the baby and parents stay on in Class A ward.
Hospitals' mission as we know it is to save lives. As a Health Minister, for Lim to make that statement betrays the callous attitude that many has come to associate with PAP.
Lim was also Manpower Minister presiding over the influx of cheap foreign labour and decline of productivity.
With such an abysmal track record, why is he still in the cabinet?
The Alternative View
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