Dr Tony Ko: An emotional farewell to comrades

Dr Tony Ko will turn a new page when he leaves the Chief Executive office in late July and says goodbye to the organisation he has worked with for over 30 years. Reflecting on his six years as Chief Executive, he describes the journey as challenging but fulfilling and says that, above all, he cannot bear to say goodbye to his colleagues and patients. “Having experienced the COVID-19 epidemic, I developed a camaraderie with my colleagues,” he reflects. “I occasionally see patients and follow ward rounds with colleagues, which makes me feel like I have never left clinical work behind.”

Dr Ko joined the public hospital as a houseman and recalls thinking that being a resident for a lifetime would be nice. To his surprise, he was promoted to become Cluster Chief Executive, and eventually HA Chief Executive, just in time for the biggest challenge of his career – the COVID-19 epidemic. He jokes that he was out of luck in his six years of incumbency with countless challenges. “At the time, it felt I was just unlucky. But when looking back, I think if I had not led the HA to deal with the epidemic, I would have lost something.”

Throughout the difficult period, he felt deeply blessed by the deep trust and respect in his relationship with colleagues. “The camaraderie with my colleagues was the greatest gift of all,” he says. “We had daily meetings to discuss anti-epidemic measures and worked collectively towards common goals. It gave us a great sense of fulfilment when we successfully helped colleagues and patients. It was also such a lesson in personal growth.” He admits that every decision had to be made swiftly. There was no time to explain the underlying considerations in detail. He feels his tone of voice sometimes might seem a bit stubborn and expresses his heartfelt appreciation to colleagues for their inclusivity and understanding.

Seeing things from different perspectives

On his first day in office, Dr Ko signaled his intention to work closely with his colleagues to build mutual trust in an email to staff: “Looking ahead, open communication with colleagues at all levels and engaging various stakeholders will be the pivotal keys in my work to establish and reinforce trust and support.” His words had proven to be true in March 2020 when the government decided to set up a temporary COVID-19 testing centre at the AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) for people arriving in Hong Kong with upper respiratory symptoms.

“It was around 8 pm when the news came through. We originally estimated it would take three days at the earliest to set up the centre from scratch,” he says. “However, as soon as our colleagues received the news, they immediately headed to AWE. The temporary testing centre was set up overnight, showcasing their sense of responsibility and unity, which made me very proud. Our government counterparts also showed the trust they had in the collaboration with HA.”

His leadership style came in an interview with HASLink before his appointment as Chief Executive when Dr Ko refers to a book called The Other Side of the Hill in which World War II is seen from the perspective of German generals rather than the Allies. “Smooth cooperation will only be achieved when there is mutual trust and respect. We should try to see things from other’s perspectives. Looking back now, I realise that it was applicable either to internal or external communication.”

In the early days of taking office, Dr Ko was once asked by a reporter whether HA could handle a second SARS outbreak. He replied frankly that it was unpredictable as each epidemic brought different challenges, but he firmly believed the HA would be as well-prepared as others. “An organisation must have confidence, show humility and dignity and, of course, pursue continuous self-improvement as well,” he says.

Rediscover enthusiasm for hobbies

After leaving the office, Dr Ko intends to spend his time for self-enhancement, visit relatives and teachers to rebuild precious connections, rediscover his enthusiasm for learning German and violin, and study courses related to religion, history or physics to fill the knowledge gap when he was young. He also plans to occasionally get involved in medical education and to participate in some clinical works – energetically dedicating himself to his pursuit of personal growth and inspiration as he approaches the other side of his personal hill.