Forest fires could force Temiskaming Hospital to cancel more surgeries
Poor air quality in Temiskaming Shores forced the hospital to cancel all surgeries Friday, and depending on the forest fire situation, it may have to cancel more procedures scheduled Monday.
The hospital enacted its ‘button down protocol’ Thursday afternoon to manage air quality as smoke from northwestern Quebec wildfires poured into the region.
On the horizon, over Lake Timiskaming, more smoke from Quebec and Lake Abitibi forest fires slowly approach from the east, as a 2,100-hectare fire 40 km to the west burns out of control.
Mayor Jeff Laferriere is reminding the public about the current municipal fire ban in place.
"With all of the fires surrounding us, we want to make sure we are really protecting everybody," Laferriere said.
On Thursday, the forest fire smoke was so thick, it caused eye, nose and throat irritation for both patients and staff at the hospital.
The hospital immediately cancelled and re-booked surgeries scheduled for Friday and obstetrical services were also cancelled.
"We have to be ahead of the game," said Temiskaming Hospital president and CEO Mike Baker.
“The forecast into this evening is not good … We've been monitoring the situation 24/7."
Poor air quality in Temiskaming Shores forced the hospital to cancel all surgeries Friday, and depending on the forest fire situation, it may have to cancel more procedures scheduled Monday.
The hospital closed all air flow from outside the building and enacted what's called ‘code grey,’ controlling and limiting access to the facility. The hospital remains open.
Access will only be through the main doors and security personnel will be controlling the entry and exit.
"This past Saturday we also did a code grey for a couple of hours because we actually had ash falling on vehicles," Baker said.
Surgeries only occur at the hospital on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So if the hospital keeps the code grey in place, no surgeries would be cancelled this weekend.
But with the unprecedented forest fire season, the hospital can’t predict what will happen by Monday and if more surgeries would need to be cancelled.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent right to your inbox
"It looks like there's some high risk from Lake Abitibi and the northwestern Quebec fire smoke are going to join again and that could cause us some grief," said Baker.
The hospital is asking all volunteers and non-essential care partners not come to the hospital.
The hospital is calling for patience from citizens and staff in the wake of this unique situation.
"Hopefully it is just a one-time event," said Laferriere.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Disability Benefit needs to be safeguarded from clawbacks, MPs unanimously agree
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
Testifying in hush money trial, adult film actor Stormy Daniels describes first meeting Trump
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday in the hush money trial of former U.S. president Donald Trump, prepared to testify about a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential election 10 years later.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Turfing Poilievre from House a clear sign of desperation by Trudeau Liberals
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Apple unveils new iPad Pro with 'outrageously powerful' AI-powered chip
Apple is hoping its latest iPad lineup will breathe new life into its sluggish tablet market. In a pre-recorded live streamed event from its Cupertino, California headquarters, the company introduced the latest versions of its iPad Pro and iPad Air tablets, and an all-new Apple Pencil Pro.
Katy Perry's mom was fooled by AI images of the singer at the Met Gala
Katy Perry did not attend the Met Gala on Monday, but some of the singer’s fans – and even her mom – thought she did.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.