The idea, says Aline Wong, Singapore's senior minister of state for health and education, is to allow government hospitals greater flexibility and creativity in how they serve patients.

CNN: HOSPITALS IN FLUX

He also took issue with another part of Mr Trimble's weekend speech - a section which attacked the performance of the Health Minister Bairbre de Brun, and also criticised the Education Minister Martin McGuinness.

BBC: Trimble defends attack on Republic

The latest budget, unveiled on 12 June, included sizeable spending on fighting poverty, including big rises for education and health to turn around what Finance Minister David Mwiraria dubbed "four decades of misrule".

BBC: Kenya to greet IMF boss