The busy Emergency Department at Wexford General Hospital was forced to come to fully shut down for over two hours last Tuesday morning due to a fire.
Over 100 patients were evacuated from casualty and an adjoining ward during the incident.
Although the main Emergency Department was re-opened just two hours later, Emergency Department 2, which is an area of treatment bays, was forced to remain closed for a week to allow necessary repairs be carried out.
The damage was described by the HSE as “mainly smoke odour and discolouration to walls”. This was caused when a gas torch was used to assist in weather proofing/asphalt works in the construction of the new Emergency Department.
A spokesperson for the HSE explained that the workers had reached the stage of connecting the existing department with the new building and as a result some smoke had entered cavities and fire alarms were activated.
The spokesperson continued: “Contingency plans were implemented at following the activation of fire alarms at 9.45a.m. A number of precautionary measures were implemented in response, including patients in the ED 2 being temporarily moved to other parts of the hospital.”
The Radiology Department was also forced to close.
In keeping with hospital policy the assistance of the local fire services was requested but hospital management confirmed, “no naked flames were identified.”
Following some remedial measures, the hospital was declared safe and the Emergency and Radiology Departments were re-opened by 12noon.
Hospital Manager Lily Byrnes has paid tribute to staff and members of the public for their co-operation on the morning and has confirmed that, as part protocol, a full review of the incident will take place.