Northern Health says it’ll be at least three weeks before reconstruction can start on damaged areas of St. John Hospital in Vanderhoof.
A failed hot water heater on the second floor of the hospital damaged the operating room and post-surgical recovery areas. The labour and delivery and sterile processing departments were also impacted to a lesser degree.
The health authority says a specialized restoration company with experience in health care sites will handle both the cleanup and reconstruction work.
As the preparatory phase begins, officials say they’ll have a clearer sense of what reconstruction will be needed and the length of time the work will take.
Northern Health says St. John Hospital’s emergency department, inpatient areas, oncology services, laboratory and medical imaging departments, which were not significantly impacted by the flooding, remain fully operational.