Flooding repairs at Cape Breton Regional Hospital expected to take five months

The Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) has released more information about the significant flooding at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital on August 25.

The flooding was caused by a burst water pipe, and caused damage to several physician offices along with an operating room, the perinatal clinic and four elevators on the hospital’s third floor.

In a news release Friday evening, the NSHA said new water damage has been found in the operating room that was initially closed for cleanup and reopened. The health authority said the operating room has been closed again for repairs, and that it’s anticipated it will reopen on Tuesday.

The NSHA said physicians whose offices suffered flooding damage have been temporarily relocated to other administrative spaces on the hospital’s third and second floors. They added that affected patients will be contacted directly in advance of any upcoming appointments.

Earlier in September, family and emergency physician Dr. Margaret Fraser told CTV Atlantic that one of her colleagues whose office was damaged by the floodwaters was told it would likely be one to four months until their office was repaired.

The NSHA news release also said the hospital’s perinatal clinic has been relocated to the fourth floor, in the pediatrics unit and that patients will be contacted directly with location details before any upcoming appointments.

On the hospital’s second floor, administrative offices impacted by the flooding have been closed for repair. Staff have been temporarily relocated to spaces including the neighboring Sydney Health Park.

The four elevators that were damaged in the flooding remain closed.

The health authority says that repairs are expected to take about five months to complete.

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