Hong Kong authorities have suspended the main contractor and lift subcontractor working on Queen Mary Hospital’s new clinical block from public works tenders after serious defects left most lifts unreliable and delayed the launch of services.

The Architectural Services Department said in a social media post late on Friday that the contractors’ poor performance had been recorded in assessment reports.

It added that they would be required to bear the full cost of remedial works and could face claims for losses arising from delays to the HK$15.15 billion (