Flooding at Edmonton’s Misericordia Hospital has caused the temporary closure of the emergency department. Water started flooding the department on Sunday at 3 p.m.
“There was a leak from a toilet within the emergency department that was discovered immediately,” said Janet Schimpf, the hospital’s senior operating officer.
On Monday, officials said the emergency department was expected to remain closed until Wednesday, as crews work to repair the damage and make sure it’s safe for patients. However, on Tuesday, they said it would take “a couple of days.”
“To date, nothing that was significant, that we have heard of… has been affected by the water. The water was at the floor level,” explained Dr. Robert Black, the hospital’s medical director.
About 16 patients who were already in the emergency department have been moved to other areas in the hospital. Patients who arrive at the Misericordia ER who did not realize it was closed will still be looked after.
“We have set up so we have an emergency physician and personnel to manage those patients,” Schimpf said. However, Covenant Health said technically the ER is closed and advised people to go to other emergency rooms.
Ambulances are being redirected to other hospitals in the Edmonton area.
“All of the other emergency departments are helping out within the zone to take on the volume of patients,” Schimpf said.
Alberta Health Services said nearby hospitals have called in additional staff, increased the size of waiting rooms and have stretchers at the ready to accommodate the extra patients. The Misericordia Hospital’s emergency department normally sees between 120 and 140 patients a day.
“It is a significant pressure and a strain,” Black said. “The volumes have been very high for a long period of time. We have not seen the usual decrease in volumes in our emergency departments as we usually do.
READ MORE: 1 year after announcement, NDP reveals location, size of new Misericordia ER
Last year, the Alberta NDP announced $65 million over four years will go to upgrade the Misericordia Hospital, including building a new emergency department.
The addition will triple the size of the current ER, expanding from 1,700-square metres to 5,000-square metres.
Site preparation and demolition is slated to start before the end of the year.
READ MORE: Edmonton’s Misericordia Hospital once again struck with flooding
In May 2013, a flood at the Misericordia forced more than 50 patients and more than 160 staff members to be transferred to the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
The following year, the hospital flooded twice in three weeks because of heavy rainfall.
In November 2017, an operating room leak caused surgical delays at the hospital.
Previous flood damage has since been restored.
–With files from Global News’ Sarah Kraus