Premier won't let health director go

Premier Yu Shyi-kun said yesterday he wasn't considering any potential candidate to replace Lee Ming-liang (李明亮), director-general of the Department of Health, who has again tendered his resignation.

"I'm not giving any thought to Lee's successor now because I'm still trying to persuade him to forget about the idea," Yu told reporters during his inspection trip to Hsinchu County yesterday morning.

But speculation is rife that Twu Shiing-jer (涂醒哲), deputy director-general -- who succeeded Huang Fu-yuan (黃富源) two weeks ago -- is the leading candidate to replace Lee because of his close ties to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).

Twu served as the director of the Bureau of Health when Chen was the mayor of Taipei.

Twu also recently was branded as a "Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) attack hero" when he blamed the Taipei City Government for causing more than 15 cases of bacillary dysentery in the Tamshui area because of water-rationing measures imposed earlier this year.

But Twu dismissed yesterday speculation that he will replace Lee. "No one has ever contacted me about this matter," he said.

Yu confirmed yesterday that Lee did offer his resignation orally.

"He first mentioned the idea to me when I was organizing the new Cabinet line-up in February," Yu said. "He told me that he's afraid his health won't allow him to continue the job for another two years. He's mentioned this to me more than once since then."

The 66-year-old Lee has been suffering from high blood pressure and asthma.

Lee, who is on a two-year leave from the Tzu Chi Medical University in Hualien County where he serves as the president, told reporters during a press conference yesterday afternoon that he would like to go back to school for the fall semester.

"It's time for me to pass the baton to the up-and-coming," he said.

Huang, a close friend of Lee, dismissed speculation that Lee was asked to resign so Twu could take up the post to help the party in the year-end race for Taipei mayor.

"It's ridiculous," Huang said. "His resignation has nothing to do with the year-end mayoral election nor did he offer his resignation under any pressure."

If there's any reason at all why Lee wants to quit, Huang said, it's the financial problems at the national health insurance system.

Claiming losses of between NT$1.5 billion and NT$2 billion monthly, the Bureau of National Health Insurance proposed to the Department of Health in March an increase in rates for full-time workers from the current 4.25 percent to 4.91 percent of their monthly salary starting in July.

The premium rate has remained at 4.25 percent since the national health insurance system was launched in March 1995.

Although Lee endorsed the proposal, the Cabinet, however, swept aside the plan.