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BBC Interviews Deputy Health Minister
Posted on Sunday, October 19, 2003
Topic: Interviews

by Mamak Cock

TalkingCock journalist Mamak Cock uncovers a yet-to-be broadcast interview conducted by the BBC with Singapore’s Deputy Health Minister Khaw Boon Too, on the topic of whether Singapore government hospitals are private or public.

BBC: Good morning, Minister.

MINISTER: Good morning to you too...

BBC: Can you explain your government hospitals’ structure?

MINISTER : It’s simple... we have 16 polyclinics and 15 hospitals and they are separated between two companies...

BBC: So these are public companies?

MINISTER: No, they are private companies.

BBC: But who owns them?

MINISTER: The government wholly owns them.

BBC: So they are public companies...

MINISTER: NO... they are private companies... Singhealth PRrrivate Limited and NHG PRrrivate Limited...

BBC: But they are owned by the government... how can they be private?

MINISTER: Well they are actually owned by MOH holdings... which is private.

BBC: What is MOH Holdings and who owns it?

MINISTER: It stands for “Ministry of Health” Holdings and it’s owned by the Ministry of Health.

BBC: How can MOH Holdings be private when it’s owned by MOH?

BBC: It’s registered as private, you see... so it’s private... how can a company registered as private be public?

BBC: Now I don't understand.. how can something that is wholly owned by government be private? So is your defence force private? Is your police private?

MINISTER: Well, if they are registered as private, they are legally private.... when they are not, they are legally public.. MOH Holdings and all the government hospitals are legally registered private companies, so they are private. If the law says so, what can I say?

BBC: But they are wholly owned by the Government, financed by the Ministry of Finance using taxpayers' public money…

MINISTER: Yes...

BBC: So how can government hospitals be made private? Especially when they are wholly owned by Government and financed by the Ministry of Finance using taxpayers’
public money? You simply want to charge private sector prices in public sector hospitals.... So you legally define them as such, though in economic terms, they have no meaning...

MINISTER: That's not true... We give subsidies.

BBC: (interjecting) Your public sector hospitals have prices higher than private sector hospitals too…

MINISTER: That’s true only for some cases.

BBC: Why should that be true at all, if it’s a public sector hospital? Is it because your huge pay is incorporated into the healthcare costs?

MINISTER: I am a public servant. Those are private companies. I am not paid by them.

BBC: So who pays your salary?

MINISTER: Taxpayers.

BBC: …who also pay for the running of your government hospitals.

MINISTER: No, they run on the revenue that they generate...

BBC: But that revenue comes from subventions from government which is taxpayers’ money from MOF...

MINISTER: But they are private companies...

BBC: Wholly owned by the Government!

MINISTER: It’s a simple concept. Let me explain again… Relax, just close your eyes, cross your legs and recite after me: private, wholly owned by government... private, wholly owned by government... it’s called enlightenment through submission…

BBC: I must call it a day... thanks for joining BBC, an organization that is still wholly owned by the government and still public...

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