FLOODING FORCED the curtailing of operations in three main departments of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital yesterday.
The hospital’s chief executive officer, Dr Dexter James, made an early morning radio appeal for the public to use the services of polyclinics, except for “genuine emergency or life-threatening” cases, while mop-up operations were being carried out in the Accident & Emergency (A&E), Haematology and Ante-Natal Care departments.
James attributed the overnight flooding to a water main being left open by workmen during ongoing construction work in the Lions Eye Care Centre where the three departments are located.
He thanked the hospital’s engineering and housekeeping support staff for working “tirelessly during the night” to restore operations. He said the area would be carbolized “to create a safe and congenial” environment for patients, and for staff to continue to work.
The Haematology Clinic was cancelled so that the area could be cleaned thoroughly.
“This is really an unfortunate situation. I publicly would like to thank people who worked overnight to help us restore operations. The staff of the Accident & Emergency Department put in place makeshift arrangements. Luckily the department was not overcrowded at this point in time,” he said.
He also apologized to the public for the inconvenience and thanked them for their understanding.
In a Government Information Service release yesterday evening, it was stated that the hospital had commissioned an independent assessment to ascertain the true cost of the damage.
It added that the A&E “has been cleaned, sanitised and restored to full operation”, while both the Haematology and Ante-Natal clinics would be fully functional by 8:30 a.m. today.
(GC/BGIS)
