Beaver Staff
Early this morning a water service line to a domestic hot water tank broke resulting in water damage to parts of the Lennox and Addington County General Hospital.
The amount of water released was substantial causing water from the upper level to flow through to the floors below. There is significant ceiling damage and the large volume of water caused substantial floor damage. Working with Greater Napanee Emergency Services, the hospital staff were able to isolate the problem, however the water was free flowing for quite some time.
“The Greater Napanee Fire Department responded quickly to our call for help and have provided an extraordinary effort in helping us stop the leak,” said LACGH CEO Wayne Coveyduck. ” They took the time to go through the entire building to verify that our alarm systems were fully functional and the building remains safe for patients and staff.”
The members of the Greater Napanee Emergency Services fire department stayed on site through the night, with LACGH staff stating the fire fighters went above and beyond their duty to assist with the extensive clean up. The fire department complimented the quick response of the hospital staff who worked to contain the spread of water.
A member of GNES works to contain the flood while waiter flows from the hospital ceiling. Photo by Bill Hammond.
None of the patient care rooms were affected by the water damage.
“All essential medical services including the emergency department, laboratory, pharmacy, and kitchen were not affected by the water damage,” said LACGH chief of staff Kim Morrison. ” Our stores, including food supplies and protective equipment are secure.”
Water did reach some of medical equipment however, with the full extent of the damage not yet quite known.
“Several pieces of diagnostic imaging equipment were exposed to the water and will need to be inspected prior to use,” noted Erin Brown, manager of quality and operational efficiencies.
As a result, diagnostic imaging has been relocated to another area of the hospital to maintain service.
The clean up will continue throughout the day and the hospital is hopeful to be able to engage its insurance carrier today to ensure they are able repair the damage quickly and efficiently.
As was released yesterday, June 7th, a water service line to a hot water tank broke resulting in water damage to parts of the Lennox and Addington County General Hospital. With the support and extraordinary effort of the Greater Napanee Fire Department and the Hospital staff the majority of water in the affected areas was removed. Patient care areas remain unaffected.
Clean up and assessment of the damage continued on Monday. There was a significant volume of water that penetrated the two levels of the hospital. A good deal of ceiling tiles, flooring, and drywall will need to be removed and replaced. The department that suffered the most damage was diagnostic imaging.
“We are working with the equipment manufacturers today to determine the functionality of the imaging equipment,” said Brown. “What we know now is that some diagnostic imaging equipment that came in contact with the water will be able to be repaired, while there are units that will need to be replaced”.