The first of two planned service interruptions for electrical upgrades at Yorkton Regional Health Centre went smoothly last Wednesday.
Emergency and obstetrical services were shut down at the hospital between 3:30 p.m. on October 13 and 8:00 a.m. on October 14 while workers replaced the building's transfer switches and serviced associated electrical equipment.
A second service interruption is planned during the same hours on October 27-28 while the work is completed.
"It all went really well, but we certainly acknowledge the disruption for the patients who had to be transferred and the inconvenience for their families and the general public," says Suann Laurent, the health region's interim CEO.
"But I'm really proud of the teamwork of our regional staff members and our physicians.
Everybody really pulled together cooperatively to handle the situation with professionalism and competence."
Patients were transferred to surrounding hospitals, sent home, or moved into long-term care on a case-by-case basis during the hospital's downtime.
"We had contingency plans," says Laurent. "We looked at each need and customized the service that would best meet the requirements of their situation."
In the event of an emergency, area residents were directed to proceed to their closest hospital outside the city, all of which were operational during the Yorkton facility's service interruption.
Those instructions are being repeated for next Wednesday's interruption. A press release from the health region advises the public to call 911 in the event of an emergency or Healthline at 1-877-800-0002 for nursing advice.
Pregnant women beginning labor after 6:00 a.m. on October 27 should travel to the closest hospital with delivery service or visit the Yorkton Regional Health Centre to be assessed for possible transfer to Regina.
"I just want to thank the people for their attention to our messages and for everybody's understanding and cooperation," Laurent says.
