Two operating theatres are temporarily out of service after flooding early Friday morning at Lakeshore General Hospital in Montreal’s West Island.
In a statement to CityNews officials said, “Flooding occurred in the operating room at the Lakeshore General Hospital early this morning. Our initial information tells us that the cause of the incident is related to frozen heating coils. An in-depth analysis is underway.”
The hospital said the situation “was quickly brought under control and taken care of by our teams.”
Ten elective surgeries have been postponed, and “the users concerned are contacted directly in order to plan a resumption as soon as possible.” Urgent surgeries are being maintained, with a service corridor established with Centre hospitalier de Saint-Mary and Hôpital de LaSalle to ensure continuity of care.
Two of the six operating theatres are temporarily non-functional due to the work required, although they were not directly affected by the water. A specialized firm will assess the moisture content in materials to determine the next steps.
As for outpatient services, “one room has been closed as a precaution.” However, activities are continuing through internal reorganization and no appointments have been cancelled.
“The safety of users and staff remains our top priority,” the statement said. “We will await the results of the technical evaluations before considering a full resumption of activities in the operating room. We hope for a return to normal as soon as possible.”