Patients, staff struggling as Halifax’s largest hospital without running water
Global News
A Nova Scotia Health spokesperson said a second water main break occurred early on Thursday morning while crews were attending to the original break at the QEII Halifax Infirmary.
Access to emergency healthcare services in Halifax was dealt another blow on Thursday as the city’s QEII infirmary site was without running water or heat following a second water main break at the hospital in 24 hours.
One patient with accessibility needs said he was advised to leave due to the fact he wasn’t able to access the hospital’s washroom facilities.
“I have no circulation in my legs. I can’t walk,” said David Macdonald, who said he had recently undergone surgery.
“The health department came in and they moved everyone they could move out of the hospital. Some people live far away, they live five or six hours from here. How can they get home?”
John Gillis, communications chief at Nova Scotia Health, said the second water main break occurred early on Thursday morning while crews were attending to the original break.
“Both water main breaks were in the same pipe. One break occurred, was repaired, and unfortunately, afterward, another break occurred in the same section,” he said during a media availability on Thursday.
Gillis added the water main breaks resulted in the loss of water and steam for the entire Halifax Infirmary campus including both the Veterans Memorial and Abbie J. Lane buildings.
He said some surgeries at the Victoria General Hospital in Halifax and the Dartmouth General Hospital are being rescheduled to accommodate urgent cases that would normally be done at the Halifax Infirmary.