The Ministry of Health and Medical Services will not allow patients or staff to access the damaged McGusty Building at Lautoka Hospital.

This was made clear in Parlia­ment by the Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete when answering an oral question about the status of the damaged building.

Dr Waqainabete said the build­ing had structural integrities since it was damaged in 2012 by Tropical Cyclone Evan which was why it was no longer in use.

“McGusty Block was part of the old hospital and in 1970, the Unit­ed Kingdom Government gifted Fiji the new Lautoka Hospital, which was opened in 1974,” Dr Waqainabete said.

He said since then, the McGusty Block had been used as an accom­modation centre for doctors and allied health staff.

He said it was then requested by the Fiji School of Medicine for their sixth-year students and in 2000, they were able to build their own block and it was used again by health staff.

“The integrity of the building came into question, so it was then not used anymore.”

Dr Waqainabete further said that Health Care Fiji was now go­ing through the motions in terms of taking over and looking after both Ba and Lautoka Hospitals.

“This is now within their do­main, which includes the old and not used McGusty Building.”