Heat, hot water returning to Toronto’s St. Joseph Health Centre after boiler system failure
Posted December 13, 2024 7:54 am.
Last Updated December 13, 2024 5:38 pm.
Heat and hot water have returned to Toronto’s St. Joseph hospital following a boiler system failure on Friday.
Unity Health Toronto issued a statement just before 5 p.m. saying they expect the boiler system to be fully back to normal by the end of the weekend.
“This will be a staged process as we bring each of our boilers back online,” officials said. “We continue to actively monitor the temperatures and the safety and wellbeing of our patients, who are our top priority.”
The hospital cancelled all non-essential surgeries and appointments after declaring an “emergency code situation” due to the lack of hot water, steam or heat which impacted operations in the Emergency Department and throughout the hospital.
Patients are still being asked to seek care at an alternative hospital and not to come to the emergency department unless it is a life-threatening emergency.
The hospital said no patients had to be transferred as a result of the failure and patients receiving dialysis or chemotherapy treatments were not affected. Family members and essential care partners of inpatients were allowed to bring extra clothing and blankets to the hospital for them to use.
The failure occurred as winter temperatures in Toronto hovered below freezing. The daytime high on Friday was forecasted at -4 C, but feeling more like -11.
St. Joseph’s is one of Unity Health Toronto’s three main sites. It offers obstetric care, specialized pediatric services, family medicine, and senior programs, among other services.
