Senior Official Resigns Over Faulty Lifts at Queen Mary Hospital
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
A senior Hong Kong government official responsible for overseeing a major hospital redevelopment project has resigned following revelations of widespread lift defects that have delayed the opening of a new clinical block at Queen Mary Hospital. Tuesday Li Pak-yee, chief project manager at the Architectural Services Department (ASD), left her directorate-level position in August, just before media coverage intensified over the faulty installations. The defects have rendered 24 of the 28 lifts in the new 34-storey block unfit for use, pushing back full commissioning of the HK$13.5 billion facility by as much as a year.
Key Points
- Tuesday Li Pak-yee, chief project manager at the Architectural Services Department, was asked to resign and departed in August
- The defects affected 24 of 28 lifts in Queen Mary Hospital's new 34-storey clinical block, rendering them unfit for operation
- The HK$13.5 billion (US$1.7 billion) redevelopment project in Pok Fu Lam has been delayed by up to one year from its expected full commissioning
- Construction of the building began in 2018 and was mostly completed last year, with a blood bank and restaurants currently operational within the block
- Experts criticized the authorities for bypassing established disciplinary mechanisms, describing the handling as lacking transparency
Why It Matters
The resignation highlights gaps in civil service accountability and project oversight at a time when public confidence in government infrastructure management is under scrutiny. The incident has raised questions about whether internal resolution of management failures is sufficient, with experts calling for greater transparency in how such missteps are addressed within the civil service framework .
The resignation highlights gaps in civil service accountability and project oversight at a time when public confidence in government infrastructure management is under scrutiny. The incident has raised questions about whether internal resolution of management failures is sufficient, with experts calling for greater transparency in how such missteps are addressed within the civil service framework .