WEYBURN, Sask. — The Saskatchewan Health Authority says efforts are underway to reopen the Weyburn General Hospital after a strong chemical odour prompted an evacuation of the building.
It says access to the hospital's emergency department is expected to resume on Saturday afternoon now that the building has been ventilated and thoroughly cleaned.
The health authority said yesterday that a patient may have been the source of a strong gas smell throughout the hospital southeast of Regina.
Weyburn's fire chief said it appeared a patient was covered in a crude oil substance.
Staff and 22 patients were moved out of the hospital for their safety, and the health authority now says they will be transferred back once normal operations resume.
The health authority says it will notify the public once the emergency department is open, and people seeking urgent care in the meantime should go to the nearest hospital outside of Weyburn or call 911.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2024.
The Canadian Press
