Victoria General surgeries resume after flooding but there are fewer beds

The Nova Scotia Health Authority says the normal volume of surgeries has resumed at the Centennial Building of the Victoria General site following a flood last week, but there are fewer beds available at the hospital.

Janet Knox, president and CEO of the health authority, said there is less room for in-patients and in the hospital's intensive care unit after 37 beds were lost 34 in-patient beds and three in the ICU.

"That puts a crunch on things," she says. "We have switched to do some more same-day surgeries so people don't have to stay overnight."

Knox said the operating room is "fully operational" with 103 surgeries performed and fewer than 10 surgeries postponed on Monday.

"What we're doing is saying the people who most need that surgery and those beds and that ICU are the ones that are here now," she said.

"For the rest of our services, we can put in people who can come in for the day and then go home."

She said the shift to fewer overnight stays may mean some people are getting in for surgeries earlier than planned.

'Very significant damage'

The patients who were displaced by last week's flood are now in other parts of the hospital where there were vacant beds, Knox said.

A burst pipe flooded three floors of the Centennial Buildingon Thursday night and forced staff to move 50patients, including some in intensive care. It also affected outpatient services.

The Nova Scotia Health Authority said the flood forced 91 surgeries to be postponed on Friday and 10 others on Sunday.

Water damage has also led to fewer appointments at the eye clinic, which is also at the Victoria General site. Knox said there were 50 appointments on Monday when there would normally be about 180.

Knox says how long it will take to catch up on those surgeries and appointments will depend on how the next few days go.

Contractors are now cutting wall samples and testing to see how the moisture penetrated.Knox saidthey don't know if some parts of the building will ever be useable,and it will take weeks to assess the damage.

There's still no price tag for the repairs.

• Victoria General hospital plagued by problems since the 1980s

Corroded pipes

Knox toured the hospital with Health Minister Leo GlavineonMonday afternoon, who told reportersthe flood was caused when a stopper in a one-inch pipe on the fifth floor gave way under "tremendous pressure."

Glavine said the breach happened as a result of renovations 20 years ago whennew pipes made of different metalswere installed.The metals have since corroded and there's nothing to prevent another flood if another connection pointsnaps, he said.

The flood may force the province and the health authority to speed up plans to replace the 67-year-old Centennial Building, Glavine said.

"This is very, very significant damage to this building," he told reporters. "A long and difficult assessment will have to be made in the coming days on what we'll do in terms of the short term and in terms of the long term."