Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson this week slammed the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for "misplaced priorities" as the administration wing undergoes multi-million-dollar renovations.

Her condemnation comes as KEMH chief executive officer David Hill admits doctors on rotation are currently sleeping on lilos on the floor.

The fifth floor of KEMH, which houses the hospital's corporate offices and a board room among other facilities, is currently in the middle of a complete overhaul.

The contrast between the administration floor and the wards below is stark: whereas the lower floors of the hospital are in need of refurbishment, the fifth floor resembles the conference suite of an expensive hotel.

Both the boardroom and reception area are pristine, with glamorous new furnishings, seemingly no expense having been spared.

The hallways are currently being redone, while construction equipment denoting ongoing renovations sits in the rooms on either side of the elevator bank.

"They have improved and renovated the fifth floor ¿ the administration floor, where the CEO and bureaucrats sit, at great expense," Mrs. Jackson said. "The place is fabulous ¿ luxurious and five-star. Below the fifth floor, the wards, it is a different story."

Mr. Hill defended the renovations as necessary not just for cosmetic reasons, but to improve KEMH's administrative function. He added that the refurbishment would "gradually spread through the hospital" as part of a comprehensive three-year plan.

"The project for the fifth floor was started as we needed a new data centre to improve our capacity to upgrade its systems and technology over the coming years," he said.

"We kept the new data centre on the fifth floor as it was much more cost effective than an off-site solution, which we did review. This was the case even taking into consideration the renovations to the fifth floor that would be needed to ensure it was appropriately protected. This is because our medical service has to be maintained through even the worst storms, and so the windows on the entire floor are now hurricane proof."

"Additionally, we wanted a more functional boardroom in KEMH as many Bermuda Hospitals Board meetings were having to be booked outside. As we renovated, we have used a style that will gradually spread through the hospital as we continue to maintain our facility."

Mrs. Jackson believes the hospital's decision to start renovations on the fifth floor is unacceptable, especially considering the "substandard" state of the wards.

"The wards are in dire need of renovation ¿ they are badly in need of repairs and painting," she said. "The country was to believe there would be a new or newly-renovated hospital at the last election."

"At least $1 million has been spent on estate plans for a new hospital ¿ we've had assurances that this would happen way back to 2003. They've had experts down here. What's happened in the last few years while people have been laying up in substandard wards?"

It is not only the wards that are deemed to be inadequate.

Mr. Hill this week admitted that doctors on rotation at KEMH are forced to sleep on blown-up lilos on the floor rather than proper beds or even cots.

"This is true and we agree it is inadequate for our physicians," he said. "We already have a lead physician advising us on how we can improve the situation and the purchase of new furniture has already been approved to ensure this is resolved as soon as possible."

The Government is paying $11million to a foreign consultancy firm over five years to better the organisation and management of the hospital.

Last year, New York-based firm Kurron Shares was handed the five-year multi-million-dollar contract to provide management consultancy services to KEMH.

The company is run by Premier Ewart Brown's friend Corbett Price ¿ an appointment that led to accusations of cronyism from the Opposition, especially when a bid from world-renowned Johns Hopkins Medicine International was snubbed in Mr. Price's favour.

Mrs. Jackson this week questioned the refurbishment of the administration wing when KEMH has yet to achieve full accreditation from the Canadian Council on Health Service (CCHSA). The hospital has until December 21 to meet 111 ¿ or nine per cent ¿ of the council's list of 1,555 standards. She sees the decision to renovate the fifth floor first as neglectful, especially given the hospital's duty of care.

"If evidence of improvements is not provided, there is no accreditation," she said. "Administration is living in the lap of luxury while the patients have unpainted walls. They're not being fed ¿ the older ones, and the younger ones unable to move. Food trays are being placed on the other side of the room."

"The wards have even been without water; the Continuing Care unit was without water. If you didn't have a friend visiting who could go to the cafeteria, you could be without water. This is actually happening. The patient has to come first. I thought the first code of any hospital was 'first do no harm'."

"Here is the hospital, trying to get accreditation, and they have obviously misunderstood that it is supposed to care for the sick in a clean environment. To take care of yourself first and the wards, doctors and nurses second seems definitely a misplaced priority."

Mr. Hill promised the public that plans are afoot to renovate the wards, describing the project as "exciting".

"Work has already started on two rooms in Perry Ward," he said. "What we are doing in this first phase is renovating two rooms that will have slight differences in layout. We will then ask patients and staff to provide feedback on their experience in the wards then roll out the preferred option. This will take us a couple of years in total as we can only renovate section by section so that our hospital service to the community is not impacted."

Health Minister Nelson Bascome was approached by the Mid-Ocean News but declined to comment.