Dr Lucas de Toca leads the Primary Care Response to the COVID-19 pandemic at the Department of Health. Lucas is responsible for the coordination of the primary care system, the implementation of 150 GP-led Respiratory Clinics and infection control training as well as, the Indigenous and remote aspects of the responses. Lucas also oversees the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccination across primary care sites.

Lucas chairs the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities COVID-19 Health Advisory Group and cochairs the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group on COVID 19.

Prior to COVID-19, Lucas was the Assistant Secretary, responsible for the Health Plan, Child and Family Health, as well as stakeholder engagement with the Indigenous Health Sector.

Lucas first joined the Department of Health as Principal Advisor, where he led the national taskforce to address the syphilis outbreak in northern and central Australia and other Indigenous Health initiatives.

Before joining the Department, Lucas has worked as the Chief Health Officer at Miwatj Health, the regional Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Service for East Arnhem Land.

He undertook medical school in Spain and Sydney, further training in Public Health at Harvard where he focused on health systems policy and leadership in health and human rights.

Lucas has been a member of the Northern Territory Clinical Senate, and a Board Member of the Northern Territory Aids and Hepatitis Council and has held several academic positions, currently appointed as an Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne.