'We are living a crisis,' says doctor at Drummondville, Que., hospital after another flood

After yet another major flood at the Sainte-Croix Hospital in Drummondville, Que., family doctor Catherine Tétreault says the situation at the facility has reached a point of no return.

"We are living a crisis," she told CBC Breakaway host Alison Brunette a day after the flooding.

On Monday, a machine used in the hospital's sterilization unit broke, sending water gushing down the hallways and onto floors below, forcing the hospital to reduce services.

A total of 24 surgeries and 54 endoscopy exams had to be pushed back on Monday and Tuesday, with more expected on Wednesday, according to Kellie Forand, a spokesperson for the regional health authority, the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Mauricie-et-du-Centre-du-Québec.

Forand couldn't say when those patients would be rescheduled but said they were being kept informed and that urgent appointments were being honoured.

Meanwhile, Tétreault said the incident happened at a time when the hospital was already running at full capacity due to the seasonal flu epidemic, making a bad situation even worse.

In addition to delayed surgeries and exams, Tétreault said some test results were also delayed due to lack of running water on Monday and that some ambulances were being rerouted.

"When we send an ambulance elsewhere, there's also less ambulances to cover our region," she said. "So it's a big impact."

While Monday's flood was significant, it didn't come as surprise to staff given the dilapidated state of the hospital.

There's even a dedicated code for major flooding incidents at the hospital — a system that was put in place 11 years ago. According to Tétreault, last year alone, the hospital saw 14 such alerts.

She's part of a coalition fighting for the construction of a new regional hospital and says the group has been sounding the alarm about issues plaguing the current facility for the past two years.

"I'm a doctor, my role is to defend my population," Tétreault said.

"My population needs a new hospital. My population needs an emergency plan. The government is supposed to get that for us."

Earlier this week, Health Minister Christian Dubé told Radio-Canada he wanted an explanation as to why major flooding keeps happening at the hospital.