Victoria General flood leaves future of 2 hospital floors in doubt

Parts of the Victoria General site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre may be unsalvageable, according to the health minister.

A burst pipeflooded three floors of the Centennial Buildingon Sept. 24 and forced staff to move 50patients. It also affected outpatient services.

Two floors floors were especiallydamaged by water that rose as high as75 centimetres in one spot.Health Minister Leo Glavine has toured the area and found the damage so extensive he considersittoo costly to rehabilitate.

"The extensive damage to the fourth and fifth floor, you know there is a real chance that they may not be able to be populated again as a work site,"he said.

Not worth fixing all deficiencies

He says the government will not put money into a building that "really should have been replaced starting at least a decade ago."

As for what other improvements might be considered at the Victoria General site, Glavine suggested theywould be minimal.

"It really has an arm's-length list of deficiencies in that building and so we'll recover and keep as much moving along in the building as is necessary to deliver the services that are required," he said.

The hospital has started to renovate the ninth floor of the VG, which had been used for offices, to accommodate patients.

According to hospital spokesperson Everton McLean, radiation oncology andgynecologic oncologywhich used to be on the fifth floor will be moved to the ninth floor.

Glavine said the breach happened as a result of renovations 20 years agowhennew pipes made of different metalswere installed.The metals have since corroded and there's nothing to prevent another flood if another connection pointsnaps, he said.

Unknown how much insurance will pay

The minister said the hospital has insurance and will file a claim, but neither he nor the hospital would guess at the amount.

He said whatever money is paid to the hospital might be used to build what ultimately replacesthe VG.

The health minister said he has spoken to the hospital foundations, which areready to start raising funds, far and wide, for a new facility.

"We do a lot of work for Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick. Some transplant work for Newfoundland and we know that they will also have a role to play here," Glavine said.