A Wollongong doctor has called for urgent action after a major breakdown in lift operations at Wollongong hospital over the long weekend.
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Dr Christopher Dunn, a consultant physician, said four out of six of the lifts in the hospital’s C Block remained out of order on Tuesday.
Dr Dunn has consulted at the hospital since 1974, and said three of the lifts near the Crown Street entrance predated his time there.
‘’That section opened around 1970; the three lifts on the other side were put in about 10 years ago,’’ he said.
‘’It seems to me there’s always one – if not more – out of action; and they’re often out of action for up to a week.
‘’You’ll see lines of people – patients, visitors and staff – waiting for lifts, with many forced to take the stairs.’’
It’s an issue Health Services Union Illawarra organiser Graham Conroy has taken up with hospital management.
‘’Lift breakdowns have been happening on a regular basis for years; and on Tuesday we were advised that six out of the hospital’s 12 lifts were down,’’ he said.
‘’It affects patients being transported to and from wards; it delays cleaning, garbage and food services; it frustrates staff and visitors.
‘’The state government needs to get its priorities right – when fundamental things like lifts are not working, then something’s wrong.’’
Wollongong Hospital general manager Nicole Sheppard said there was a ‘’long-term plan’’ to replace lifts.
‘’As of (Wednesday) morning all lifts, except one, were operational. Over the long weekend, some lifts were out of service. An external specialist contractor was called in and the majority of issues have now been rectified.
‘’Wollongong Hospital has a regular lift maintenance schedule, but problems occur from time to time due to demand on the lifts.’’
Both Mr Conroy and Dr Dunn felt replacement of the ageing lifts should be a priority.
Mr Conroy said: ‘’The problem is that many of the lifts are very old, and also that parts are not readily available in the region so they can take a long time to fix.
‘’Sometimes we have the situation where two elevators are broken down and parts are taken from one of the broken ones to keep the other working, until both can be fixed properly.
‘’Staff have had enough – I’m sure management are frustrated too – it comes down to funding.’’