CEO of Mount Elizabeth Hospital dies

The chief executive officer (CEO) of Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Orchard Road, Ms Joycelyn Ling, died on Sunday morning. Ms Ling, 40, is believed to have collapsed after watching the fireworks display from the National Day Parade rehearsal with her family in the Fullerton Road area last Saturday night. No further details have been given.

A government scholar who studied at the University of Manchester, Ms Ling started her career as a physiotherapist at Alexandra Hospital in 1999 before rising to become an assistant director there in 2003.

She became Tan Tock Seng Hospital's deputy chief operating officer (COO) in 2006 and was Mount Elizabeth Hospital's COO from 2011 until November last year, when she took up her latest position. Dr Lim Suet Wun, CEO of Parkway Pantai's Parkway Operations Division, said: "Joycelyn has been a firebrand of energy, inspiration and a leader of immense ability. For those who knew her well, she has been a charming person with a warm and jovial demeanour."

Mount Elizabeth's COO Noel Yeo will take over as acting CEO.

Her wake is being held at Singapore Casket in Lavender Street.

Husband Edwin Chow, 43, group COO of a medical research company, said: "She was a competitor, she got things done." The couple have a son who is in primary school.

Jurong Health Services CEO Foo Hee Jug, who worked with Ms Ling in the Workplace Safety and Health Council, said: "She was very nice to work with, jovial and able to lighten up the room."

Lawyer Tan Beng Ti, 41, was in the same study group as Ms Ling at Wesley Methodist Church for 12 years. She said: "She was tremendously energetic and very hardworking, and she also had a real gift for organisation - she really made sure everything was well planned."

amirh@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on July 28, 2015.
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