Contractors suspended over 'extremely serious' lift defects at Queen Mary Hospital
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
The Architectural Services Department announced late Friday the suspension of contractors involved in Queen Mary Hospital's HK$15.15 billion (US$1.93 billion) redevelopment project after 'extremely serious' lift defects left most of the facility's vertical transportation systems unreliable. The main contractor and its lift subcontractor have been barred from public works tenders and will bear full costs for remedial works .
Key Points
- Main contractor Paul Y – Able Joint Venture and lift subcontractor Anlev Elex Elevator suspended from public works tenders
- Anlev Elex Elevator is a subsidiary of ATAL Engineering Group, founded by Otto Poon Lok-to
- Otto Poon is the husband of former justice secretary Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah
- 24 of 28 newly installed lifts in Clinical Block 1 affected by defects in circuit boards and levelling sensors
- Lifts exhibited uneven start/stop motion, misaligned floor stops, and door failures
- Safety systems functioned as designed; frequent activations brought lifts to controlled stops
- Remaining four lifts serving non-clinical areas operating acceptably with minor repairs planned
- Contractors' poor performance recorded in official assessment reports per contractual mechanisms
Why It Matters
The suspension underscores growing concerns about construction quality in major public infrastructure projects, with the contractors now facing potential claims for losses from delays to one of Hong Kong's most significant hospital redevelopment programmes . The incident also highlights accountability mechanisms in public works contracts, as the government seeks to recover costs and ensure timely completion of healthcare facilities serving the public .
The suspension underscores growing concerns about construction quality in major public infrastructure projects, with the contractors now facing potential claims for losses from delays to one of Hong Kong's most significant hospital redevelopment programmes . The incident also highlights accountability mechanisms in public works contracts, as the government seeks to recover costs and ensure timely completion of healthcare facilities serving the public .