Global Achievement Awardee 2020

A hospital administrator for some 30 years, Dr. LUK Che-chung believes that effectively running a hospital is beyond shuffling papers and answering emails. To him, inputs from even the most frontline employee could make a marked difference in the quality of patient care. Thus, it is not unusual to see him in wards, canteen or common areas talking to staff and colleagues.

Dr. LUK was among the 46 pioneering graduates of The Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Medical School in 1986. He went through the growing pains of the Faculty, studying in cargo containers, travelling from one hospital to another, and just making do with what was available then.

It was during the pre-medical heydays that he learned about team building, leadership, and taking chances. After four years working as a clinical physician, he decided to take a path “less travelled” by doctors—administration—feeling that he could make a real difference to patients here too.

Dr. LUK is an unsung hero of SARS and COVID-19

Dr. LUK with his colleagues

His bold career move turned out exceptionally well. He was once the Cluster Chief Executive (CCE) of Hong Kong West, the Hospital Chief Executive (HCE) of Queen Mary Hospital and Tsan Yuk Hospital, and CE of the Kowloon East Cluster. His last appointment before retiring from the Hospital Authority was the CCE of the Hong Kong East, and the HCE of Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Wong Chuk Hang Hospital, and St. John Hospital.

Despite heading so many hospitals with thousands of employees, Dr. LUK  dived headlong into every job with unfazed fortitude and integrity. His uncanny knack for balancing budgets, overseeing major building projects and managing crises has earned him kudos from the medical community. As one of the “unsung medical heroes” of the 2003 SARS crisis, he is highly experienced in handling pandemics, a skill that he proficiently employed when leading the Hong Kong East Cluster through the covid-19 outbreak back in 2020.

Involved in various community work, Dr. LUK also lends his voice to organisations like the Medical Council and the HK Council of Social Service. But it is his track record as a hospital administrator that stands him in good stead for future leadership opportunities.