The massive new Hospital Acute Services Building at Hagley Park
in Christchurch is beset by fresh delays fixing 8000 fire protection
defects.
Part of the exterior of the new Acute Services Building at Christchurch Hospital.
Photo: RNZ / Katie Todd
The half-billion-dollar, 3000-room hospital is two years behind
schedule after a huge number of variations to the original contract.
Ministry of Health (MOH) spokesperson Michelle Arrowsmith said in a
statement the delays related to "passive fire remediation and completing
the testing and documentation process".
"Approximately 8000 minor passive fire protection defects were found
as part of the quality assurance process, the vast majority of which are
now fixed."
The hospital's plumbing caused major problems, and subcontractors were forced to go back and redo substandard work.
The budget had increased "slightly", partly to pay for two extra wards and a link bridge, the MOH said.
It expected to hand the block over to Canterbury DHB in the first
half of this year, once checks showed it was completely up to code.
Those checks included clinical staff and engineering and maintenance
specialists who had also been helping install medical equipment for six
months, the ministry said.
The building will be immediately operating at capacity once it opens.
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