The rumor about the Director-General of Health, Mr. Stephen McKernan resigning after the completion of his contract in July, is a burning question these days. The opposition is poking its nose into the affair to know whether he was forced to do so, or it was his own decision.

He served as the Chief Executive of the Ministry for four years and was one of the country's top health officials.

Earlier, he was the head of Counties Manukau District Health Board in Auckland and prior to that he headed Hutt Valley DHB in Wellington.

He shared that he will not be seeking reappointment after the successful completion of his contract in July. He told that it was mutually decided between him and his company, the State Services Commission. He will now aim at system changes that are still under progress at the ministry. It is surely a critical time ahead for the ministry, as it continues to reduce the staff numbers and reorganizes again to house the new National Health Board.

His departure is a great loss to the health sector of the country, opines the senior doctors' union.