A lift that malfunctioned overnight at the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital’s East Wing has been repaired and returned to service, hospital officials confirmed. The lift, which serves the Extension Street side of the hospital, resumed operation at about 2.30pm today after technicians identified and fixed the fault, Medical Superintendent Dr Luke Nasedra said.
Staff scrambled overnight to maintain patient movement and care while the lift was out of service, Dr Nasedra said, with support teams assisting in transferring patients between floors where necessary. He thanked hospital support staff and technicians for their rapid response and said the temporary disruption did not compromise patient safety. “Our teams are prepared to assist at all times,” Dr Nasedra said, noting staff remained focused on ensuring uninterrupted care during the outage.
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services is meanwhile advancing longer-term plans to replace ageing lift systems across the hospital. In a development confirmed by Dr Nasedra, the government has approved the tender process for the replacement of two lifts in the East Wing — a procedural milestone toward full replacement. Work to upgrade the West Wing is already under way, with four lifts being replaced to improve reliability for patients and staff.
This latest repair comes amid wider public concern and prior reporting about prolonged lift problems at CWM Hospital, particularly in the West Wing. Earlier ministry statements said replacement lifts were scheduled to arrive next month and that contracted engineers — including those from the original supplier — had been engaged to restore and maintain ageing units. The ministry has framed the current programme as a multi-stage overhaul intended to reduce future breakdowns and minimise operational disruptions.
Dr Nasedra urged the public and hospital personnel to use lifts responsibly to help preserve equipment, while stressing that staff are trained to manage patient movement when lifts are unavailable. He also sought to reassure the community following media coverage that had raised alarm, emphasising that contingency procedures were activated during the outage and that patient services continued without major interruption.
While today’s fix restores immediate functionality to the East Wing lift, the approved tender and ongoing West Wing upgrades signal a shift from short-term repairs to systematic replacement of outdated systems. Hospital management and the Ministry of Health say the combined approach of emergency maintenance and scheduled replacements aims to provide more reliable service and reduce the likelihood of repeat incidents that affect patient access and movement within Fiji’s largest referral hospital.
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