Thiruvananthapuram: The prolonged maintenance and repair works on the lifts at the RCC have left patients in distress. As many as five lifts at the hospital have been out of service for over four months.

With the hospital handling a high volume of patients every day, the lack of functional lifts has caused serious inconvenience. Among those shut down for repairs are the lift near the operating theatre and those providing access to the pharmacy, wards, and other key areas of the hospital. Patients and bystanders pointed out that the situation has remained unchanged for the past four months.

Patients undergoing treatment at the RCC are among those requiring the highest levels of care, and allegations have surfaced that the authorities failed to arrange alternative facilities even after closing the lifts.

Hospital authorities, however, clarified that the lifts under replacement were the ones installed when the RCC was first launched. Of the five lifts under maintenance, installation of three has now been completed and will soon become operational. Work on the remaining two is also expected to be completed on a war footing, they added.