Hong Kong authorities have reserved the right to seek compensation from contractors over faulty lift installation work that has delayed operations at Queen Mary Hospital’s new block, the development minister has said.
Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said on Tuesday that the main contractor, a Paul Y-Able joint venture, and lift subcontractor Anlev Elex Elevator would be required to bear all costs of remedial work, ensuring public expenditure on the project would not increase.
Both firms were suspended from tendering for public works last month.
The full commissioning of the hospital’s new HK$13.5 billion (US$1.7 billion) block has been delayed by up to a year after serious defects left 24 of its 28 lifts unfit for use.
The delay has prevented medical departments from moving into the facility, where a blood bank and restaurants remain open.
“Since deficiencies in the construction work have been identified, the relevant works departments will, in accordance with the contract, reserve the right to pursue claims for compensation,” Linn said.
“The costs of all these remedial measures will definitely be borne by the responsible main contractor and subcontractors.
“Therefore, the occurrence of these issues will not result in any increase in public expenditure for this project.”
Linn said the departments had not publicly disclosed all the problems at this stage to avoid legal disputes with the contractors that could affect the government’s position and rights in pursuing future claims.
Construction of the 34-storey building began in 2018 and was completed in 2025. Clinical services had originally been expected to start relocating there from the end of last year.
The new block is designed to accommodate the accident and emergency department, emergency medicine and inpatient wards, the diagnostic radiology department, a perioperative centre, cardiac catheterisation laboratories and intensive care units.
Linn’s pledge came after Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said on Monday that he was disappointed by the delay.
“As healthcare workers, we feel a bit disappointed, and we expect rectification in the project to be carried out as soon as possible,” Lo said.
Hospital Authority Chief Executive Libby Lee said current hospital services had not been affected but stressed that redevelopment projects were intended to meet medium- to long-term needs.
“We have not yet received the building for the time being, so we are still evaluating the impact on our future development,” she said.
Linn said on Tuesday that relevant public works departments had found poor installation workmanship in some lift components, as well as dimensional deviations in the lift shafts.
“If there is a dimensional deviation, it will result in insufficient clearance when installing the lift, leading to the lift not running smoothly,” she said.
She added that the Development Bureau had asked the Architectural Services Department and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department to submit reports reviewing their handling of the project.
“Beyond this particular project, it also raises the question of whether there are aspects of the existing system that need to be tightened or strengthened. These are precisely the areas that the Development Bureau is currently involved in,” she said.
Linn said the bureau would review the reports to determine whether the system for supervising and accepting works could be improved, while the Health Bureau and Hospital Authority would assess how the delays had affected hospital services.
She added that the departments were confident the problems could be fully resolved by the fourth quarter of this year.
All 28 lifts had received permits from the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department by July last year after it reviewed the subcontractor’s testing reports and conducted on-site inspections.
Anlev Elex Elevator is a subsidiary of ATAL Engineering Group, founded by Otto Poon Lok-to, the husband of former justice secretary Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah.
Original source: cn