Durban - ADDINGTON Hospital’s lifts are death traps to the employees, patients and visitors alike, at least two employees told the Daily News on Tuesday.
The front four main passenger lifts are broken and the Health Department said two of the four lifts would be operational by November 2.
The department said during the weekend of October 3, a tap on a water basin was left on and water flowed into the lift shafts, causing the front four lifts to be damaged and subsequently shut for repair.
Last week, one lift got stuck between the third and the second floors before it crashed to the ground floor. The occupants were saved by other people while the lift was still stuck between the floors.
“The department is very reckless by allowing people to use these rusty death traps. As of September, there have been problems with these lifts, albeit not new. On our way down from the ninth floor, the lift started making screeching noises. As it passed the third floor it slightly passed the second floor but stopped, and when the door opened we were actually not on the level with the second floor. People climbed up and a young man helped pull me up,” said one employee.
Another employee complained that last month a patient and staff were stuck in a lift from 11am to 7pm.
“Just after the crash on Thursday, we were told not to say a word about it. That’s how the bosses treat us, and you might end up without a job if you talk about the appalling state of affairs in this hospital,” she said.
Last month, Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu announced the possibility of relocating the hospital.
Health spokesperson Ntokozo Maphisa had said by virtue of Addington Hospital’s age, location along the coastline and large catchment area, the facility’s health technology and other crucial infrastructure were vulnerable to constant malfunctioning.
On Monday, Ncamisile Nkwanyana from the IFP’s health portfolio committee went to the hospital after she was informed about the recent incident by a concerned employee.
“When I arrived there, all the lifts were broken. I witnessed sick, elderly people being carried down the staircase from the upper floors.”
Rishigen Viranna from the DA condemned the MEC’s “continuous lack of action” in fixing the problem.
The department yesterday said that officials from head office and from the hospital were meeting with the service provider today to discuss ways of mitigating the effects of the problem.
Daily News