Hong Kong Hospital Authority chief Tony Ko to quit at end of July

Hong Kong Hospital Authority chief executive Tony Ko Pat-sing will quit his position when his term ends at the end of July, the Post has learned.

The geriatrician, who first held the position in 2019, was reappointed in 2022 for another three years with effect from August 1.

He would not stay for another term, according to a source.

Ko led the authority during the Covid-19 pandemic. The agency has been under growing pressure to reform due to a long-standing manpower crunch and a slew of medical blunders last year.

He was among officials who showed up at a daily press conference during the pandemic to give daily updates and answer media questions over the authority’s ability to cope with the rising number of infections.

He also tackled the implications of the 2019 anti-government protests just a month into his appointment. More than 1,000 healthcare staff members from 13 public hospitals staged sit-in demonstrations at their workplace in August that year to condemn what they said was an excessive use of force by police in the protests.