Following a significant disruption caused by a water main break over the weekend, Cleveland Clinic Akron General has resumed accepting ambulance service, according to a report from cleveland.com. The break has impacted services and patient care, leading to diversions and a temporary halt in visitations.
The emergency stemmed from a 12-inch water line rupture early Saturday morning, just before the advent of dawn. The hospital, while managing to keep its Emergency Department open to walk-in patients, had no choice but to divert ambulances. Oscar Quinteros, a new father affected by the incident, voiced his distress to Cleveland19 News, "We fought for 4 days trying to get this baby out and finally the baby is here, and she wants to relax and she can’t even get a drink of water."
Clean-up efforts have been ongoing, as the hospital spokesperson indicated to FOX8, with some restrictions still in place. The water line break, thought to be a result of extreme cold temperatures influencing the ground movement and subsequently pressurizing the pipes, was remedied by Saturday afternoon, although issues persisted into Monday.
As the hospital rebounds from this ordeal, cancellations of various outpatient appointments—including cardiac, radiation oncology, and radiology at the downtown campus—were unfortunately necessary. The impact of the flooding appears to be limited to the main hospital building, with city officials confirming that no other downtown buildings were affected and no boil advisory was needed due to sufficient pressure in the area, the city said, to the relief of the community at large.
While the Akron General Health and Wellness Centers located in Bath, Green, and Stow have been operating normally throughout this episode, the main campus does continue to impose restrictions on general visitation, allowing exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Meanwhile, all hospitalized patients have, and continue to receive the necessary care throughout the duration of service disruption, hospital officials assured in statements obtained by various local news reports.
