QEII hospital patients relocated after flooding in Victoria General site
Major flooding occurred on 5th floor, hospital says
A Code Green has been activated at the Victoria General site of the QEII hospital due to a flood originating on the fifth floor.
Patients on the fifth and third floors, 5A and 3A, have been relocated within the building and patients on 3B are in the process of being relocated, a hospital release said. One of the units evacuated is an intensive care unit.
"Shortly before 8 p.m. we had notification there was a flood on the fifth floor of the VG site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre, " Nova Scotia Health Authority spokesman Everton McLean said.
"We're not exactly sure yet where the water had come from, or what had happened to allow the water to escape. We're investigating that as we're trying to clean up the situation. The priority right now is on relocating patients."
He confirmed that ICU patients were in one of the units moved within the building.
"We're in the process of relocating those patients within the building as an interim measure. It is all preventative at this point. They had to be moved as a result of the flood obviously."
No one was injured as a result of the flooding.
"As of this point, there are no reports of any issues with the patients."
Patients' family members are being contacted, McLean said.
"The water has been shut off but there is significant water in the building. The emergency operations centre has been activated and is meeting at the Infirmary site," the hospital said.
The emergency operations centre is "our hub for decision making during a crisis or an emergency," McLean said.
"Our leadership gathers together with people from all areas across the organization that have responsibilities for everything from housekeeping to executive leadership so we can make decisions quick...to ensure our patients are cared for...any time there is a major code such as this [Code Green],"
Housekeeping and maintenance at the Victoria General are on site to clean up and to find the source of the flood.
Water was expected to be shut off until midnight which meant patients and staff were asked to refrain from using water and flushing the toilets.
A press release said that bottled water and other supplies were being delivered to the site.
"This is an active flood right now," McLean said.
The hospital has said it will provide updates on Twitter and Facebook and on the hospital's website as soon as there is new information.