Visitors and staff walk through the hospital’s lift lobby. File Photo
KUCHING: New lifts to replace the existing ones at Sarawak General Hospital are expected to be installed in three phases, starting in June.
Public Works Department (JKR) Sarawak, in a statement issued here yesterday, confirmed being appointed by Ministry of Health to upgrade the lifts.
It also said a tender was called and the successful contractor was awarded the contract in November last year.
“The contractor has placed orders and the lifts are currently in the fabrication/manufacturing stage. But physical activities on site have yet to commence.
The contractor will only start to dismantle the existing elevators once the new ones have arrived in June.
“The lifts replacement involves installation of six new lifts and associated works and will be carried out in three phases. Phase 1 will involve lifts No 2 and 3 (July to September). This will be followed by Phase 2 for lifts No 4 and 5 (October to December) and finally Phase 3 for lifts No 1 and 6 (January – March 2018).”
It also mentioned that in the meantime, maintenance of the existing lifts are still being carried out by a maintenance contract concessionaire under the purview of SGH.
“JKR Sarawak hopes that with this clarification, the public will be aware of the steps being taken and to bear with the temporary inconveniences while awaiting completion of the lifts upgrading works,” it said.
The malfunctioning lifts at the SGH have caused a lot of inconveniences to the public. Last year, a pregnant woman had to deliver her baby in a malfunctioned lift at SGH.
In The Borneo Post report on Tuesday, Stampin MP Julian Tan revealed that RM5.4 million had been allocated for the new lifts at SGH but that had not been converted into action.
Tan was quoted as saying the allocation was announced by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam during the last Parliamentary sitting in November last year.
He also said he visited the main block of SGH on Sunday to find three out of the six lifts were out of service.