Development Secretary Pledges Public Report on Faulty Lifts at Queen Mary Hospital
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 6 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong's Development Secretary Bernadette Linn Hon-ho has committed to disclosing a public report on defective lift installations at Queen Mary Hospital's new clinical block, where 24 of 28 lifts were deemed unfit for use. The statement came during a television programme on Saturday, nearly two weeks after Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu tasked the Development Bureau with submitting an investigation report within a month. While Linn emphasized her commitment to transparency, she stopped short of confirming whether the Heads of Departments Accountability System would be invoked to hold senior officials accountable.
Key Points
- 24 of the 28 lifts in Queen Mary Hospital's new 34-storey clinical block have been deemed unfit for use
- Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho stated on Saturday that the upcoming report to the chief executive would subsequently be disclosed to the public
- Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu had instructed the Development Bureau to submit a report within a month, with the investigation launched nearly two weeks ago
- The Architectural Services Department, which oversaw the hospital project, is under review to determine whether it fulfilled its oversight duties at various project stages
- Tuesday Li Pak-yee, a chief project manager at the Architectural Services Department, reportedly resigned over the scandal, though the department denied any "forced resignation," stating she quit for "personal reasons"
Why It Matters
The lift failures at Hong Kong Island's largest public hospital highlight potential gaps in government project oversight and accountability mechanisms. With hospital operations dependent on functional vertical transportation, the incident raises questions about construction quality standards and the effectiveness of departmental checks in large-scale public infrastructure projects . The outcome of this investigation could set precedents for how the government handles similar construction failures and holds civil servants accountable for project management shortfalls.
The lift failures at Hong Kong Island's largest public hospital highlight potential gaps in government project oversight and accountability mechanisms. With hospital operations dependent on functional vertical transportation, the incident raises questions about construction quality standards and the effectiveness of departmental checks in large-scale public infrastructure projects . The outcome of this investigation could set precedents for how the government handles similar construction failures and holds civil servants accountable for project management shortfalls.