Prairie North Health Region is reporting the in-house heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system is functioning again at Lloydminster Hospital following a storm that flooded the facility last month.
However, in a news release issued Wednesday, they said it would still be several weeks before the entire system is back to full operation.
The HVAC system is not yet back to full strength. It is currently delivering about two-thirds the volume of air through temporary lines, which were installed as a temporary solution until the permanent lines are replaced. That work to replace the lines is already underway.
“We received clearance over the past weekend to restore HVAC service to the entire hospital, albeit through the temporary ducting installed since the flooding,” said Gloria King, PNHR Vice-President of Integrated Health Services, in a statement.
“Test results for the presence of any potential contaminants in the system came back negative, allowing us to proceed with the switch back to our in-house system.”
As for the five temporary air cooling units installed when the HVAC went down, four have been turned off. Two were disconnected and removed Wednesday; two more are to be removed Thursday. The fifth remains in service supplementing the HVAC system.
Prairie North is also reporting temperatures and humidity in the hospital remain within acceptable levels and are comfortable for patients and staff, and air quality monitoring and testing is ongoing. Since June 9, 110 samples have been taken at locations throughout the hospital and all results indicate air quality standards continue to be met.
