Leon Perera Wants Retired Healthcare Professional To Joint-head Task Force

Following the findings of the Independent Review Committee (IRC) on the unusual and unfamiliar Hepatitis C cluster at SGH, a task force headed by Minister of State Chee Hong Tat has been formed to plug gaps highlighted by the IRC

Among other things, the task force will study 'best practices' from the international arena to strengthen Singapore's ability to detect and respond to 'uncommon and unusual infections'.

In response to the formation of the task force, Leon Pereira of Workers' Party suggested that a retired healthcare professional be appointed as joint head of the task force to 'ensure that recommendations are formed from a perspective of sufficient independence from the existing organisation structure'.

Does that make sense? Existing organisational structure will prevent the task force from learning from best practices in the world?

Dr Tan Wu Meng, an MP for Jurong GRC, said that however well-meant, nothing in WP's proposals "would help our healthcare workers diagnose outbreaks better, detect atypical infections sooner, or sense uncommon problems more clearly".

Independence is a good thing. Workers' Party could have saved us lots of taxpayers' money if they had allowed for independent accountants to help them examine their books and recover whatever money that has been lost instead of using their full resources to mount a vigorous defence against the appointment of INDEPENDENT accountants.