Following the inundation from a water pipe break on Thursday, Duke University Hospital's emergency department persists in its closure. As CBS17 reported, a 12-inch chilled water line, designed for the building's heating and cooling, fractured and prompted a flood on the first floor of the hospital.
The aftermath of the disruption has led to diverted ambulance traffic. Wading through the waters at around 11:40 p.m., the staff had to act quickly to move patients to safer grounds, defining a level of urgency rivaled only by the necessity of uninterrupted care. "Currently, emergency patients who arrive by their own means to the Emergency Department are being cared for in alternate locations throughout the hospital," according to a news release on CBS17.
WNCT highlighted the measures taken to accommodate ongoing emergencies, noting that patients were initially redirected to areas such as the Surgical Short Stay and 2200. Meanwhile, services like the Blood Bank and Pharmacy have been rerouted to other facilities within the hospital network to cope with the critical situation.
In efforts to maintain critical operations, the staff were seen, according to a WNCT interview with Durham County EMS Chief Paramedic Gordon Smith, "hustling and moving all the patients away, evacuating them away from the danger and much of the equipment as well." Duke Health officials have assured that their priority is the continuance of care without interruption and that they are making every effort to facilitate this in an expedient manner.
Despite the challenges brought on by the burst pipe and subsequent flooding, patient and staff safety remain the paramount concern. Duke University Hospital is collaborating closely with the Occupational & Environmental Safety Office and Infection Prevention team to address these concerns, as per their update. The hospital is optimistic in reopening additional emergency beds, the triage area, and waiting room by the weekend.
Although the hospital's emergency department's doors remain closed, Duke University Hospital is striving to resume ambulance services and full operational capacity at the earliest opportunity.
