Yeoh Eng Kiong was Secretary for Health and Welfare of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 between 1999 and 2002, and Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food

Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food

The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food was a ministerial position in the Hong Kong Government, who headed the former Health, Welfare and Food Bureau . It was replaced by Secretary for Food and Health on July 1, 2007....

 and member of the Executive Council

Executive Council of Hong Kong

The Executive Council of Hong Kong is a core policy-making organ in the executive branch of the government of Hong Kong.. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong serves as its President.The Executive Council normally meets once a week...

 between 2002 to 2004.

Career

Yeoh studied medicine at the University of Hong Kong and graduated in 1971. Yeoh specialised in gastroenterology

Gastroenterology

Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine whereby the digestive system and its disorders are studied. The name is a combination of three Ancient Greek words gaster , enteron , and logos...

. After a 19-year career as a consultant physician at government hospitals, with recognised work in AIDS

AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

 research, Yeoh became the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority in 1990s, 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

Outbreak

Outbreak is a term used in epidemiology to describe an occurrence of disease greater than would otherwise be expected at a particular time and place. It may affect a small and localized group or impact upon thousands of people across an entire continent. Two linked cases of a rare infectious...

 - 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

York Chow

York Chow Yat-ngok , GBS, SBS, MBE, JP, is the Secretary for Food and Health of Hong Kong. He is a member of the Executive Council. He was appointed as Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food in 2004. The position has since been renamed to Secretary for Food and Health from reshuffling in...

.