Health Minister Dr Antonio Lalabalavu has attributed a recent spate of lift breakdowns at the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital in Suva to improper handling rather than heavy use, and warned that the facility’s ageing East Wing elevators are particularly sensitive to even minor contact. The minister’s comments come after social media footage last week showed patients being carried up staircases when an East Wing lift failed.
“It’s not the overuse, it’s how to use the lift,” Dr Lalabalavu said, explaining that routine movements of patients and equipment can inadvertently trigger faults. He said minor bumps against the interior walls — including when hospital beds are rolled too close to the casing — can interfere with mechanisms and render the lifts inoperable. “Even rolling patients inside and bumping the sides of the walls… can cause disruption in how the lift functions,” he added.
The Ministry of Health first identified recurring lift problems at CWM in 2023. The issue resurfaced publicly after last week’s video prompted fresh questions about patient safety and access within the hospital, which serves as Fiji’s main referral centre. Officials have been told the East Wing lifts’ sensitivity means normal, everyday use requires greater care to avoid false faults that shut systems down.
As an immediate measure, hospital management temporarily assigned staff specifically to oversee lift use and to instruct hospital personnel, patients and visitors on proper handling. Dr Lalabalavu said the programme was intended both to reduce avoidable shutdowns and to demonstrate correct procedures to the public and to staff. “It went to that extent… to show even our own staff… or the general public,” he said.
While most faults are resolved within hours, Dr Lalabalavu warned that overnight breakdowns can cause longer delays because technicians are sometimes only able to respond the following day. That lag has heightened concerns about patient transfers and emergency access, particularly given CWM’s increased workload after other regional facilities have redirected patients to the capital hospital in recent months.
Despite the recurring disruptions, the Health Minister said long-term fixes are already being pursued. Plans are underway to replace the ageing lift systems in the East Wing, although he did not provide a firm timeline or funding details. In the meantime, he urged everyone who uses the hospital to exercise care. “You should be aware of how to look after the lift,” he said.
The latest development shifts the focus from blame for heavy traffic to behavioural and maintenance factors, and signals both short-term management steps and a commitment to hardware replacement. Hospital administrators and the Ministry of Health now face the task of balancing immediate operational needs with securing resources to modernise vertical transport in one of Fiji’s busiest healthcare facilities.
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