Lawmakers voiced concern on Friday over the seriousness of the lift faults at Queen Mary Hospital's new clinical block, after Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn reported the investigation findings to a special meeting of the Legislative Council.

Linn told the development panel meeting the main contractor and subcontractor bear the main responsibility for the lift faults, while those responsible for monitoring, including government staff, also had failings in management and supervision.

"First, the main contractor and the lift subcontractor carried out inaccurate works, the workmanship was poor, and follow-up was sloppy," she said.

"Second, the inspection, testing and approval plan drawn up by the main contractor for the lift installation had omissions, and neither the professionals it hired nor Architectural Services Department staff followed them up."

She said the problem was not systemic as the works-supervision system itself is in place, but the project team did not carry it out properly, so the shortcoming was in execution.

DAB vice chairman Chan Hok-fung described the case as a "perfect storm".

"Every link fell a little short, and these shortcomings came together, leading to such a big incident," he said.

"You can say it is the system or you can say it is the people, but after reading the report the system is actually sound – there are three layers of approval, three layers of structure, and many people were watching throughout the process. So why could it not be done? I agree that the problem with people is very serious, and that is the most critical point in this case."

Liberal Party vice chairman Lee Chun-keung called some aspects of the incidents unbelievable.

"It now looks very much like a deliberate, chain-by-chain cover-up – but in the end, they couldn't wrap fire with paper. By the time it reached the Hospital Authority, the whole thing had gone wrong," he said.

"Why the Hospital Authority was still allowed to use the lifts? Some of these things are truly unbelievable and baffling."

Linn said the investigation found that staff from the Architectural Services Department were negligent when issuing the completion certificate, while there were also shortcomings in how the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department issues lift use permits.

Faults among the 28 lifts have delayed the building's full opening.



Edited by Aaron Tam