Yeoh Eng-kiong

Yeoh Eng Kiong (zh-ts|t=楊永強|s=杨永强, born 1946 in Ipoh, Malaysia) was Secretary for Health and Welfare of Hong Kong between 1999 and 2002, and Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food and member of the Executive Council between 2002 to 2004.

Career

Yeoh studied medicine at the University of Hong Kong and graduated in 1971. Yeoh specialised in gastroenterology. After a 19-year career as a consultant physician at government hospitals, with recognised work in AIDS research, Yeoh became an administrator in 1990, and was promoted to the post of Secretary for Health (a civil servant position) in January 1999, which became the political appointment of Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food in 2002.

SARS

Yeoh was heavily criticised by the media subsequently for his handling of the SARS outbreak. On 14 March 2003, despite the rising number of SARS cases in Hong Kong, Yeoh insisted there were no signs of a widespread outbreak [cite web| author= Cannix Yau| url= http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=&art_id=14072&sid=&con_type=1&d_str=20030315&sear_year=2003 |title=I am no God:Yeoh | publisher = "The Standard"|date= 15 March 2003|accessdate=2008-07-24] - contradicting direct statements from hospital staff.

He was forced to resign on 8 July 2004 to take political responsibility over the SARS outbreak. Yeoh was succeeded by York Chow.

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