Services resuming at MUHC Glen site after major water main break
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A water main ruptured near the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Glen site early Friday morning, causing the hospital to turn ambulances away, cancel surgeries and tell people to avoid its emergency rooms.
At noon, the issue was resolving, according to hospital officials. Water pressure was returning to the hospital and clinical services were beginning to resume, including at the ERs and for surgeries.
Early Friday, water poured into the street on Décarie Boulevard and pooled under the train overpass next the hospital.
The burst pipe left the hospital with low water pressure and no potable water for hours.
The City of Montreal says the leak has been capped but water pressure at the nearby hospital is still low. The hospital spokesperson says drinking water is being provided to staff and patients.
Any surgery that wasn’t an emergency was cancelled or transferred to another hospital. The postponement of surgeries and other medical appointments affects hundreds of patients, according to a hospital spokesperson.
The majority of chemotherapy appointments went on as scheduled.
The water issue affected all MUHC facilities at the Glen site, including the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Cedars Cancer Centre, the Montreal Chest Institute, the Montreal Children’s Hospital and the Research Institute of the MUHC.
“Our priority is to ensure the safety of patients and staff at the affected facilities,” the hospital’s news release said. “We are working with the City of Montreal to restore the situation as quickly as possible.”
An internal hospital memo obtained by CBC News said bottled water was being delivered and instructed staff to refrain from using most bathrooms.
Drivers are advised to avoid the area.
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