A day after Alberta Health Services said a water leak had forced the temporary closure of the emergency department at the Misericordia Hospital; officials said the closure would continue for longer than first expected.
On Monday, AHS said damages caused by a backed up toilet had prompted the closure while repairs were made – slating the reopening date for Wednesday, August 22.
Tuesday afternoon, officials said it would take longer for repairs to be completed. They said AHS and Covenant Health were assessing the damage.
Covenant Health said crews had been waiting for water in the drywall to dry over the last two days, but that didn’t happen, so wet portions will have to be removed and replaced.
As a result of the continued closure, additional resources had been brought in for emergency care at other hospitals in Edmonton and the surrounding area:
- University of Alberta Hospital
- Royal Alexandra Hospital
- Grey Nuns Community Hospital
- Northeast Community Health Centre
- Sturgeon Community Hospital in St. Albert
- Strathcona Community Hospital in Sherwood Park
- WestView Health Centre in Stony Plain
- Fort Saskatchewan Community Hospital
- Leduc Community Hospital
- Devon General Hospital
AHS said more staff, increased waiting space and more available stretchers at the other emergency facilities had been brought in to deal with the closure.
Officials plan to release more details on repairs in the coming days.
