Senior official asked to resign over defective lifts at Queen Mary Hospital
A senior Hong Kong government official who oversaw faulty lift installation work that stalled the launch of a new block at Queen Mary Hospital was asked to resign and left her post last month to take responsibility for the defects and delays on other projects, the South China Morning Post has learned. But experts criticised the authorities’ handling of civil service management missteps, which…
A senior Hong Kong government official, Li Pak-yee, was asked to resign in August following faulty lift installations at Queen Mary Hospital, delaying the project's full commissioning by up to a year. The defect has left 24 out of 28 lifts non-operational. Li, a chief project manager at the Architectural Services Department (ASD), was reportedly advised to resign by the department and left her directorate pay-level post shortly before media scrutiny grew.
Experts criticized the handling of the issue, noting it bypassed the established disciplinary mechanism, citing a lack of transparency. The delay has prevented medical departments from moving into the hospital block, where a blood bank and restaurants remain open. The hospital's construction began in 2018 and was mostly completed last year.
Li, who held a Directorate Pay Scale Point 1 (D1) post with a monthly salary of up to HK$183,015, is currently open to work. Her former supervisor at D2 level took over her responsibilities alongside his existing duties, described as "unusual". The ASD has directed the main contractor and lift subcontractor to bear all remedial costs.
However, the Health Bureau has not commented on the technical details, as it is the end user of the facility. Sources noted that under existing protocols, the Hospital Authority should have been informed about any lift issues in advance. The delay also prompted calls for a formal investigation into the matter.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
