Non-working lifts at SGH Specialists’ block a worrisome situation — Voon
KUCHING: The elevators at the Specialists’ Block of Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) here have been out of service for at least two days, causing dire inconvenience to many users.
This problem was brought to the attention of Parti Keadilan Rakyat ( PKR) Women national vice- chief Voon Shiak Ni, who called on the government to maintain this facility on a regular basis or replace the malfunctioned mechanisms with new ones.
According to her, a concerned citizen who went to that block on Wednesday and Thursday complained about the faulty lifts.
“I was prompted again to bring this matter up, as raised by a concerned citizen. We do not think that we need to give the authorities some time to do the necessary (thing). It has been nearly a year now after the incident, in which an 18-year- old woman who was on her way to the labour room, had to deliver her baby in one of the lifts, which malfunctioned.
“It’s really disheartening to see the pictures given to me by a good citizen. One of them is of nurses and family members helping a patient down the stairs (at SGH Specialists’ Block). One of them is holding a wheelchair,” Voon said in a press statement yesterday, adding that she was informed about people having to use the stairs because the lifts at the block were ‘not functioning’.
It is learnt that the said block houses the gynaecology ward, the labour ward and the intensive care unit ( ICU).
“I’ve been told that faulty lifts are still the order of the day at SGH. It is not safe to have malfunctioning lifts anywhere – even more so at a hospital where such situation is risking the safety of its patients and staff,” said Voon, pointing out that the lifts at the SGH block ‘are 20 years old’.
In this regard, Voon wanted the state Health Department to look
I was prompted again to bring this matter up, as raised by a concerned citizen. We do not think that we need to give the authorities some time to do the necessary (thing).
into the matter.
She also wanted the authorities to inform the public of the number of new lifts that had been installed at SGH since last year.
“We would like to have an update on the installation of new lifts at SGH. Also, how much funds out of the total RM536 million under Budget 2017 are given to Sarawak Health Department for the upgrading of facilities at SGH?”
Under the national budget
Voon Shiak Ni, PKR Women national vice-chief
for this year, a sum of RM536 million had been allocated for the upgrading of hospital facilities across the country.