Mary Hospital lift failures raise service delay fears
Bastillepost · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Mary Hospital’s redeveloped Clinical Block 1 has been commissioned in phases since last year, but only three of its 28 lifts are currently operating normally, according to reports discussed on a radio programme on Monday, August 17.
Over the past year, the building has seen multiple lift-related incidents, including breakdowns, sudden drops and passengers being trapped.
Lawmaker Chan Hoi-yan said the situation was serious and unsatisfactory, warning that delayed lift reliability could push back the launch of clinical services in the new block.
Engineer Szeto Ka-shing said the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department’s permit-to-use process confirms safety compliance, while later testing and fine-tuning of lift performance is a separate stage that can take time.
Key Points
- Chan Hoi-yan said the Mary Hospital redevelopment cost more than HK$10 billion and took nearly 10 years of planning and construction.
- She criticised the project’s construction quality, saying repeated lift incidents showed a very poor outcome for a major public hospital redevelopment.
- Chan said relocation of the new accident and emergency department, operating theatres and wards had already been delayed by the lift problems.
- She warned the new clinical services might still miss their target even by the fourth quarter of this year, affecting patients and healthcare staff.
- Former Hong Kong Institution of Engineers division chairman Szeto said dynamic testing is needed to detect swaying or linear deviation during lift movement.
Why It Matters
If lift problems continue, the opening timetable for key hospital facilities could slip further, prolonging disruption to service transfers inside one of Hong Kong’s major public hospitals.
The dispute also raises questions over project oversight and public communication, after Chan said the problems had lasted for more than a year before fuller explanations were posted online.