Former health minister Godfrey Farrugia “performed miracles” to reduce the number of out-of-stock medicines, according to the Prime Minister.

And yet Dr Farrugia still faced the chop with Joseph Muscat admitting that the sector needed “new input” to look at things from a management perspective.

This was Dr Muscat’s assessment of the most significant change in Saturday’s reshuffle when asked about the matter during Times Talk on TVM yesterday.

Dr Muscat insisted that he trusted the former health minister, whose sudden resignation on Saturday morning brought forward the Cabinet reshuffle by a few days.

In the resignation letter that was published on his partner’s Facebook wall, Dr Farrugia said that he did not want to serve in the social solidarity ministry and other ministries.

“I trust Godfrey, so much so that I offered him other ministries but he decided otherwise and I respect that decision... I hope in the future he will have other roles,” Dr Muscat said, insisting there was no animosity between the two.

The Prime Minister said his assessment that led to the change was not based on the person but on the needs of the sector.

Justifying the decision to combine energy and health under one ministry, Dr Muscat said Konrad Mizzi will focus on the structural and management issues while parliamentary secretary Chris Fearne will contribute with his know-how on the clinical side.

Speaking for the first time to the media after Saturday’s reshuffle, Dr Muscat said the Cabinet he chose last year was strong but the changes made it stronger.

“We achieved a lot in the first year and this will strengthen our delivery,” he said, adding he was one to confront problems rather than allow them to fester.