MONTREAL — With more than 200 patients to transfer in less than a week, the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) held a mock moving day at the Royal Victoria Hospital.
The simulation came complete with a make-believe patient played by an intern pretending to make the trek to the new superhospital at the Glen Site.
READ MORE: McGill University hospital plans move down to the minute
“Everybody has a part to play, the roles are really, really defined, and everyone does their part,” said Lyne Mainville, an MUHC nurse.
“It’s going to work well.”
The countdown is already on. It’s set to kick off at 7 a.m. Sunday, in a move that has been anticipated for years.
More than 200 patients will be transferred to the state-of-the art superhospital from the 122-year-old Royal Victoria Hospital.
READ MORE: Prestigious Royal Victoria Hospital closes its doors Sunday
On May 24, 100 or so patients from the Montreal Children’s Hospital will also arrive.
Tuesday’s simulation is one of several being carried out by the MUHC staff.
Doctors, nurses and coordinators want to make sure the two largest hospital transfers in Canada go off without a hitch.
More than two dozen ambulances and other vehicles will be on the move and running all day until the entire hospital is empty.
Sunday’s move is an event that’s been almost a decade in the making.
“We expect a little bit of crying, a little bit of anxiety, and things like that.”
“But I think we have the right resources in place to try to alleviate that as much as possible,” Carol Galli, a physiotherapist at the MUHC, told Global News.
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The stress level on Tuesday was much lower than what is expected on Sunday.
But the intern who played the role of patient is confident patients will be well looked after.
“If any patients were feeling sick or dizzy, they would be in a good spot,” said Nicole Yeba, an MUHC intern.
“There will be contingencies that we might not have planned for at the Nth degree that might pop up,” said Dr. Harley Eisman, Director of the Emergency Department at the Children’s.
“We try as much as possible within our move plan to script for those contingencies so we know what we’re dealing with.”
Hospital staff said family members can also help with the transition.
They have been asked not to show up at the Royal Vic on Sunday.
Instead relatives are supposed to receive a call once the transfer is complete.
They can also check the status of the transfer of loved ones online here.
WATCH: Saying good bye to the Old Vic
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