Sewer smell prompts CancerCare to shift treatments from St. Boniface Hospital

An "overpowering sewer smell"in St. BonifaceHospitalhas caused CancerCare to relocate some of its treatments.

"Cancer patients are very, very sensitive to any smell, and secondly, they're going through chemotherapy, which makes them nauseated," said CancerCare CEO Dr. Sri Navaratnam. "If they walk in through the bad odour and have to sit through that, which will be very, very unpleasant, we cannot compromise that."

CancerCareis advising peoplewith regularlyscheduledCCMBoutpatient treatments at the hospital that their appointments will be relocated for the next several days.

"We are doing this to ensurepatients in treatment are as comfortable as possible," saidNavaratnam.

About 20 to 50 patients per day will be affected by the change.

Only outpatient treatments are being relocated,andthey will take place at either our HSC site or at Victoria General Hospital's Buhler Cancer Centre instead.

CCMB staff is calling allpatients who had treatment appointments scheduled on:

• June 12
• June 15
• June 16

Clinic visits to CCMB's St. Boniface site for consultations with physicians willcontinue as regularlyscheduled.