The Union Ministry of Health and Family Affairs has sought an explanation from the PGIMER administration regarding the shutdown of 11 lifts due to the absence of valid annual maintenance certificates (AMCs). According to the Superintending Hospital Engineer (SHE), PGIMER, 13 lifts were not working at the PGIMER as of April 3, and eight lifts in the institute were shut down by the agency (OEM) for inspection and repair, as these lifts are old and under replacement. Since April 1, lifts in various blocks of PGI have been non-functional, causing inconvenience to both patients and healthcare workers. The major problem was in the Research Block, where most diagnostic tests are conducted, with many patients visiting PGIMER requiring access to the section for diagnostic tests. With elevators shut, the patients, including those in OPD, inpatients, and follow-ups, were forced to use the stairs. According to a source, maintenance agencies had declared the lifts unfit for operations a long time back, but the PGIMER administration did not take timely action, and neither any plan was made to replace the lifts, nor were any serious repair measures initiated. Also, the company demanded a higher maintenance fee for repair of the lifts, but the PGIMER Administration did not agree to the demand, due to which maintenance was delayed, and the lifts could not be operated as per safety standards. Although the Nehru Hospital elevators have been repaired and are back in use, some need more repairs and replacement, and the institute is now preparing a report to submit to the Health Ministry.
