Surgical units at the Misericordia Hospital were temporarily shut down Friday after clogged drains caused water to pool in a sterilization area.
While crews worked to repair the damage, emergency room staff were told not to accept any patients needing surgery.
While the flooding was not serious enough to require moving patients, Senior Operating Officer Janet Schimpf said some elective procedures were put on hold while the surgical units were out of commission.
“We don’t know the full impact to people right now, but what we are doing is ensuring we are doing as many cases as we can today,” she said.
Schimpf said the hospital was working to re-book all patients as soon as possible.
Friday’s flood has led to a renewed call by some advocates for the aging hospital to be replaced.
Alberta Health has promised $40 million to the hospital to help with repair costs, but says the province likely won’t pay to rebuild the entire hospital.
