WEYBURN – A reported gas leak at the Weyburn General Hospital led to all patients and staff being evacuated on Friday in temperatures close to -30 and a high wind chill, but investigation led to a strong chemical odour, not a gas leak.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority reported that during an extensive investigation into the situation, it was determined that a gas leak did not occur.
While a gas leak was ruled out, a strong chemical odour was observed throughout the building. Initial investigations indicate that the strong chemical odour was brought in on the clothing of a patient seeking treatment at the facility.
After removing the source of the chemical odour, the SHA facility maintenance staff ventilated the building and thoroughly cleaned impacted areas to remove remaining chemical odour.
After an inspection of the facility and a thorough clean of affected areas, the SHA and the Weyburn Fire Department determined that it was safe to resume all hospital operations.
Access to the Weyburn General Hospital Emergency Department resumed Saturday afternoon, with all normal hospital operations also resuming throughout the afternoon.
“I would like to thank our patients, their families, the community of Weyburn and the many staff and physicians involved in helping us through the past 24 hours,” said Derek Miller, Chief Operating Officer for the Saskatchewan Health Authority on Saturday afternoon.
“The evacuation during this extremely cold weather could not have been done without the care, compassion and dedication of SHA staff, physicians and paramedics who acted in the best interests of patient safety at every step.”
The SHA thanked the patients, families and community members for their cooperation and understanding during the disruption of services. The SHA also extended its thanks to the Weyburn Police Service, Weyburn Fire Department, and SaskEnergy for their support in coordinating the evacuation and ongoing investigation.
A total of 22 patients were initially evacuated to local care homes, and 19 patients remained evacuated at local care homes on Friday night. They were accommodated in place overnight at these facilities while investigations into the cause of the chemical odour continued. Patients that were evacuated to local care homes and other health centres were transferred back to the facility on Saturday afternoon.
Other patients were discharged or arranged alternate care plans in the community.
