Hospital in Springhill evacuated, temporarily closed due to smoke
CBC
The hospital in Springhill, N.S., was evacuated Monday evening due to smoke from what a fire official says was an electrical fire, and the building will be temporarily closed to allow for assessment and remediation.
The provincial health authority says 21 inpatients were transferred from All Saints Springhill Hospital to other sites within the northern health zone, or discharged to their homes. The collaborative emergency centre is also closed.
All appointments are cancelled for Tuesday "until the safety of patients and staff can be assured," according to a Nova Scotia Health news release. That includes outpatient clinics, diagnostic imaging, ambulatory care clinics, rehabilitation outpatient clinics and primary health-care clinics.
Springhill Fire Department Chief Kendell Spence said firefighters were called to the site Monday evening. The fire was believed to be electrical in nature, but was not immediately located, which prompted the evacuation.
Spence said a faulty heat motor was found on fire soon after, and was quickly extinguished.
He said the site has been passed over to hospital maintenance staff.
Bethany McCormick, vice-president of operations for the northern health zone, commended the quick work of hospital staff and community organizations like the RCMP during the evacuation.
Some of the 21 patients were able to walk out of the hospital, while others were taken out with the help of firefighters and officers.
"It was really a tremendous effort," McCormick told CBC's Information Morning Nova Scotia, adding that they expected to have more information on when the hospital might be able to reopen later Tuesday.
Renal dialysis will be provided at Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre.
More information about the temporary closure can be found on the authority website.
The authority said anyone with urgent medical needs should call 911.
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