Bonnyville hospital patients with surgeries before May 25 being contacted

Patients of the Bonnyville Health Centre with surgeries scheduled before May 25 are being contacted to postpone their procedures; Covenant Health said late last week. 

Surgeries and obstetrical services are expected to resume at the hospital on May 25, based on current information. 

Obstetrical patients are encouraged to visit Bonnyville Health Centre when they need care or begin labour so that an obstetrics physician and nurse can assess them.

The release says that Bonnyville Health Centre will then collaborate with hospitals in surrounding communities to arrange for the patient’s safe transportation to the appropriate facility. If patients require urgent care, they should call 911.

The facility’s operating rooms were temporarily closed last week due to damage caused by a water leak.

Other service areas, including the emergency department, remain open at Bonnyville Health Centre. The South Lakeside parking lot is currently closed off for contractor activities. However, visitors may park near the emergency department entrance and ambulance hall.

“We would like to thank the community for their patience and apologize for any inconvenience this situation has caused,” said Shelly Franklin, Site Administrator, Bonnyville Health Centre, in a press release.

“We are grateful to the teams from Covenant Health and AHS and our contractors, who have stepped up to restore our operating rooms. Our top priority is patient safety. We are working to reopen our operating rooms as quickly as possible.”

Alberta Health Services has taken steps to ensure operating rooms and obstetrical teams in surrounding communities are prepared for increased demand stemming from the Bonnyville Health Centre operating room shutdown.

Covenant Health is one of Canada’s largest Catholic healthcare organizations, with over 15,000 physicians, employees and volunteers serving in 12 communities across Alberta.

A major provider in Alberta’s integrated health system, Covenant Health works with Alberta Health Services and community partners to positively influence the health of Albertans through a broad range of programs and services.