The East Wing lift at the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital in Suva was taken out of service on Saturday after a mechanical fault, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services confirmed, warning that members of the public may experience disruptions while technical assessments and repairs are carried out.
The ministry said contingency plans are in place to protect the safety of admitted patients, including those in the Intensive Care Unit and wards located on upper floors. It added that critical care services have been reorganised to manage patient flow and maintain continuity of care while the lift remains inoperative.
Hospital officials have begun technical assessments to determine the cause of the fault and the scope of repairs required. Work is ongoing, and the ministry cautioned that some routine services and movements within the East Wing could be delayed until the lift is restored to service. No further detail was provided about the expected timeline for repairs.
Reorganisation of critical care services has involved adjustments to how patients are transferred and monitored within the facility, the ministry said. Staff redeployments and alternative arrangements for moving patients between levels of the hospital have been put in place to reduce clinical risk and ensure uninterrupted treatment for those in need of urgent care.
The temporary outage comes amid broader attention to hospital infrastructure in Fiji. In June the government announced a $540 million allocation to the health sector, and officials have previously said Australia provided funds toward infrastructure planning for CWM Hospital. The ministry’s statement framed the current contingency measures as immediate safeguards while longer-term infrastructure and maintenance work continues to be prioritised.
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services said it will provide updates as repairs progress and urged patients and visitors to expect some inconvenience while safety-focused measures remain in effect.
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