Article content continued

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or visit the nearest hospital emergency room: https://t.co/LU5oXBSRqM — St. Michael's (@StMikesHospital) February 16, 2016

The pipe burst around 1 a.m. Tuesday in the hospital’s Cardinal Carter Wing, a large section of the hospital, which houses the imaging department, gift shop, cafeteria and specialty clinics. The wing neighbours the emergency room on the first floor, and sits above the emergency room on the upper levels.

“The water leaked through the ceiling and the walls into our emergency department,” Shepherd said. “I did see some ceiling panels that were removed, some that were stained.”

Approximately 30 patients from the emergency room were either discharged or admitted to the hospital, and some staff on the night shift were sent home, Shepherd said. Staff stopped the leaking from the burst pipe and vacuumed up excess water to begin assessing the damage.

The water leaked through the ceiling and the walls into our emergency department

“A big issues of concern for us is to check all the medical and technical equipment in the department,” she said. “After we have a good assessment of what needs to be repaired, we also have to do a very thorough cleaning.”

Shepherd is unsure how long the emergency department will stay closed as the damage is assessed and equipment inspected.

St. Michael’s Hospital is one of two level-one trauma centres in Toronto, serving 75,000 patients annually and approximately 200 patients each day, Shepherd said. St. Michael’s is located at 30 Bond St., just north of Queen Street East.