Toronto’s St. Joseph hospital says a boiler system failure has left the health centre without hot water, heat, or steam as of Friday morning.
Unity Health Toronto shared a statement detailing what the health centre called an “emergency code situation” affecting hospital operations.
“This has resulted in no access to hot water, heat or steam at the hospital, which has impacted our ability to provide full services in our Emergency Department (ED) and throughout the hospital at this time,” the statement reads.
“We ask that patients not come to the ED unless it is a life-threatening emergency. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please seek care at an alternative hospital or contact your healthcare provider for guidance.”
The hospital’s non-essential activities scheduled for Friday have been cancelled due to the issue.
“Patients with scheduled appointments today will be contacted directly by their care team. Patients who are receiving dialysis or chemotherapy treatments are not impacted and should attend their scheduled appointments,” Unity Health Toronto wrote. “The health and safety of all our patients is a top priority and we are working to keep our buildings warm as possible as we resolve this issue.”
A Unity Health spokesperson declined an interview and referred to the statement when reached for comment Friday.
St. Joseph’s is one of three main sites of Unity Health Toronto and offers obstetric care, specialized paediatric services, family medicine, and senior programs, among others.
