Patients carried down stairs all week after lift breaks in Bay of Islands Hospital in Kawakawa, Northland
By Peter de Graaf of RNZ
Some patients at Bay of Islands Hospital in Kawakawa have had to be carried up and down stairs after the building’s only lift broke down.
Health New Zealand’s Te Tai Tokerau operations director Alex Pimm said the lift had been out of action since Saturday afternoon.
Technicians arrived on Saturday, ordered replacement parts and had been on site every day since.
Pimm expected the lift to be back in service on Friday.
He said a few less-mobile patients had needed to be helped up and down stairs using manual handling equipment.
No one had had to be transferred to Whangārei Hospital because of the broken lift, Pimm said.
“None of our patients who transferred to Whangārei Hospital did so because they were unable to use the stairs. Instead, they all required ongoing clinical management or procedures that couldn’t be provided at Bay of Islands Hospital.”
Pimm said the lift received regular maintenance from the hospital’s service provider.
“Unfortunately, breakdowns do occur on occasion. As we only have one lift in the building, when the lift is not working that does cause us some challenges.”
The hospital had remained open and patient appointments had continued during the breakdown.
He said the hospital had robust protocols in place to manage patient care and building access during such events.
Bay of Islands Hospital made the news this year when a dire shortage of after-hours doctors prompted staff to speak out about their concerns, despite a ban on talking to the media.
– RNZ
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