Prolonged period for complete recuperation.
The Rouyn-Noranda hospital, which has been closed since a fire incident, is currently undergoing extensive repairs. As of Friday, 45 patients are being treated in regional hospital facilities, with some also in nursing homes or CHSLDs.
The Vice-President of Operations and Health and Social Services Coordination of Santé Québec, Maryse Poupart, has expressed a firm intention to restore the Rouyn-Noranda hospital to its previous state. The fire, which started on the second floor, caused major damage, particularly on floors 1, 3, and 4, where soot, smoke, and water used to extinguish the fire had significant impacts.
Some services, including the emergency room and specialist medical appointments, have resumed, albeit at reduced capacity. The medicine-surgery unit is also operating at reduced capacity. However, the exact timing for resuming all services at the Rouyn-Noranda hospital is still undetermined.
Caroline Roy, the hospital's CEO, has asked for indulgence from the population due to the impact of the hospital closure. She has also testified that it is a major incident, and the hospital is working with experts to evaluate the state of affected medical equipment.
The impacts of the hospital closure are not limited to the Rouyn-Noranda Hospital. The entire team working at the hospital, as well as teams and installations elsewhere in the region, are affected. In fact, three patients who could have been hospitalized in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region had to be sent to another region due to the hospital closure.
The hospital administration is providing daily updates on the state of services on their website. Despite the challenges, Maryse Poupart remains optimistic about the hospital's future, stating that they are committed to resuming services at the Rouyn-Noranda hospital to their previous state.
- Maryse Poupart, the Vice-President of Operations and Health and Social Services Coordination of Santé Québec, has expressed a strong commitment to restoring the Rouyn-Noranda hospital, with the aim of resuming medical-conditions treatments and contributing to health-and-wellness services.
- Caroline Roy, the hospital's CEO, has emphasized the significance of the hospital closure, stating that it has caused disruptions not only in the Rouyn-Noranda Hospital but also in medical-conditions treatment and health-and-wellness services across the region.
