LGH A&E flooded!!

oranbhoy67

donegal_road wrote: »

I think its open almost a year (?) and I haven't heard of any such floods before.

From reading about it online it seems it was actually flooded just before it was meant to be initially opened , which i think is why a lot of people are angry that no real lessons seemed to be learned from that first flood !

danniemcq

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqLoWQz4Kog&featureRoad yesterday tube_gdata_player

here, Have some terrible letterbox footage of the high road

Noreen1

It's been opened for some time, but you're right in saying this isn't the first time it flooded.

Noreen1

alchemist33 wrote: »

Shyte. That looks like a CT scanner up to its neck in water. That'll take time and money to sort out.

Here's another horrible thought. Isn't the MRI scanner on the same level?

michael999999

Noreen1 wrote: »

Here's another horrible thought. Isn't the MRI scanner on the same level?

Hopefully they are suspended off the floor!

Mint Sauce

New update. Glad to see the co operation of Altnagalven, and it being made use of

No indication though, when it will be reopened.

A MAJOR CLEAN-UP is underway at Letterkenny General Hospital after parts of it were flooded yesterday.

The hospital had to be partially evacuated yesterday evening after heavy rains caused flash flooding. The ground floor was said to be “completely destroyed” by the rising waters after the River Swilly overflowed.

A spokesperson for the hospital said that all ground floors in the three-block hospital were damaged in the flooding.

This morning, the HSE said in a statement that there is a major clean-up underway at Letterkenny General Hospital.

It said that the Emergency Department remains closed and patients are being diverted to Sligo Regional Hospital and Altnagelvin Hospital.

The hospital is currently closed to all visitors, as many areas have been flood damaged and soiled and the hospital wants to avoid risk of contamination and the spread of infection, said the HSE.

http://www.thejournal.ie/letterkenny-hospital-flooded-1010996-Jul2013/?utm_source=facebook_short

homer simpson

muffler

Meanwhile there has been other flood damage

a number of graves were damaged when a wall collapsed causing a huge deluge of water to sweep into Conwal Graveward in Co Donegal.

Linky

icescreamqueen

Great, trust me to pick a good time to be pregnant. I'm due our baby any minute, I'm overdue by 3 days. Does anyone know if the maternity ward is still open? I can't get through to the maternity ward for some reason.

alchemist33

icescreamqueen wrote: »

Great, trust me to pick a good time to be pregnant. I'm due our baby any minute, I'm overdue by 3 days. Does anyone know if the maternity ward is still open? I can't get through to the maternity ward for some reason.

Its fully functional. I know someone there.

Good luck!

Mint Sauce

Just seen your edit Muffler.

retalivity

homer simpson wrote: »

why the hell did they play music over the video??

Mint Sauce

retalivity wrote: »

why the hell did they play music over the video??

To make it more emotive I guess. I watched it with the sound off.

homer simpson

retalivity wrote: »

why the hell did they play music over the video??

More than likely done because it would have alarms going off.

muffler wrote: »

Meanwhile there has been other flood damage Linky

Damn those pesky planners, that must be their fault too :rolleyes:

CastorTroy

Drove over windyhall road yesterday evening about 530 and was like driving upstream. And I see today that the road past the Grange is a mess and now in need of repair

Flibbles

danniemcq wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqLoWQz4Kog&featureRoad yesterday tube_gdata_player

here, Have some terrible letterbox footage of the high road

That is awful, why do so many people on youtube refuse to hold their phone landscape?


I really want to know which genius planned an A&E in a small valley, halfway up a huge hill. Unbelievably stupid.

danniemcq

Flibbles wrote: »

That is awful, why do so many people on youtube refuse to hold their phone landscape?


I really want to know which genius planned an A&E in a small valley, halfway up a huge hill. Unbelievably stupid.

cause i was an idiot who couldn't remember what way to hold my phone.

didn't know how long the car was gonna be stopped etc.

Also this was a major once off for the region, In the same way you could criticise anywhere else that flooded.

I have never experienced such rain in such a short space of time here before.

Maldesu

danniemcq wrote: »

Also this was a major once off for the region, In the same way you could criticise anywhere else that flooded.

I have never experienced such rain in such a short space of time here before.

It's been that bad before, but just not in the last few years. Still though, flood mitigation should be a primary focus of any development, particularly something like a hospital.

Flibbles

danniemcq wrote: »

cause i was an idiot who couldn't remember what way to hold my phone.

didn't know how long the car was gonna be stopped etc.

Also this was a major once off for the region, In the same way you could criticise anywhere else that flooded.

I have never experienced such rain in such a short space of time here before.

Surely there should have been much stricter planning with something as important as a hospital though? I mean, the road goes down hill from a larger hill, and goes completely down hill until the entrance to A&E. It practically encourages rain to go down to it. Add to that the automatic doors (that were broken last time I was in there) and it's surprising this didn't happen sooner.


How much of the hospital is closed now? Last I heard it was pretty much the entire ground and first floors.

Noreen1

michael999999 wrote: »

Hopefully they are suspended off the floor!

They are indeed!

However, the question remains as to where the electrical ducting runs, and whether it was possible to shut the power off before it flooded.

Unlikely, I would think, given that the flooding occurred between 5 - 5.30 on a Friday evening. It's likely that they were operating on a skeleton staff at that time of evening. So, the question remains whether it was possible for the floodwater to reach a power source, and whether the CT and MRI scanners were turned off, thus avoiding a short circuit!

michael999999

Noreen1 wrote: »

They are indeed!

However, the question remains as to where the electrical ducting runs, and whether it was possible to shut the power off before it flooded.

Unlikely, I would think, given that the flooding occurred between 5 - 5.30 on a Friday evening. It's likely that they were operating on a skeleton staff at that time of evening. So, the question remains whether it was possible for the floodwater to reach a power source, and whether the CT and MRI scanners were turned off, thus avoiding a short circuit!

You would hope that with machines worth hundreds of millions there are a number of trip switches and breakers!

Noreen1

True.

Having said that, you would also hope that drainage would be adequate - but there you go!

Latest news:

http://www.independent.ie/incoming/flooded-hospital-to-be-closed-for-long-time-taoiseach-29454781.html

“I spoke to the Minister for Health this evening who visited the hospital with personnel. He gave me a blow-by-blow account of what happened here.
"This is very substantial, records lost MRI, diagnostics, laboratory walls to be de-plastered and de-contaminated.
“This is far more serious than was first thought. It means effectively that Letterkenny is out of operation for a considerable time and that means calling on the assistance in respect of Derry, Enniskillen, Sligo and the community and there may be some other alternatives that have to be considered as well.”
Mr Kenny said the health minister will report on the full extent of what is required to fix Letterkenny shortly.

So, essentially - we have (almost) no Hospital!:mad:

Does anyone know if the lab. is up and running yet?

Mint Sauce

I thought I have had. I know or have heard that Altnagalvin is being used, and now according to our minister, a need for Enniskillen, but are our ambulances allowed to use roads in NI under blue lights, and break NI traffic rules in an emergancy, and are the drivers covered?

Firblog

Noreen1 wrote: »

True.

Having said that, you would also hope that drainage would be adequate - but there you go!

Latest news:

http://www.independent.ie/incoming/flooded-hospital-to-be-closed-for-long-time-taoiseach-29454781.html



So, essentially - we have (almost) no Hospital!:mad:

Does anyone know if the lab. is up and running yet?

From what I understand, none of the areas/floors/offices etc that were flooded have been reopened as they need to be decontaminated of the sewage residue first & foremost, then the repairs to floors, walls, office furniture etc need to be carried out.

Found this on facebook...


A river runs through it...

Senna

Mint Sauce wrote: »

I thought I have had. I know or have heard that Altnagalvin is being used, and now according to our minister, a need for Enniskillen, but are our ambulances allowed to use roads in NI under blue lights, and break NI traffic rules in an emergancy, and are the drivers covered?

Couldn't see this being a problem, i'm sure emergency vehicles from North and South can follow same procedures both sides of the border. Altnagelvin ambulances came to road accidents in Inishowen regularly and I'm sure its blue lights all the way.
Wouldn't the ambulances from Letterkenny drive through the north to get to Dublin in an emergency?

salonfire

How are Altnagalvin supposed to handle letterkenny as well as their own population? We know letterkenny a+e is busy to the point of overcrowding.

This clusterfcuk will also impact the people of Derry and their waiting times.

If it is going to be a prolonged closure, they would need to set up a field hospital in the town.

Anyone know where the stream that burst is exactly? Is it on HSE land?

NIMAN

I know of a few people who had to go to Derry A&E recently, and they had VERY LONG waiting times, this ain't going to help at all!

Noreen1

Firblog wrote: »

From what I understand, none of the areas/floors/offices etc that were flooded have been reopened as they need to be decontaminated of the sewage residue first & foremost, then the repairs to floors, walls, office furniture etc need to be carried out.

Found this on facebook...


A river runs through it...

I was thinking about that last night.
As Salonfire asked - where exactly is this stream that burst it's banks?
And how did sewage get into the floodwater? I thought Letterkenny had a sewage system? So, if the sewage pipes are underground, and this is surface water, from a presumably nearby stream....?

Also - I smell a rat as to how this stream could cause that level of flooding anyway!
The new A&E is in a hollow - but if you look down from the entrance from the main road, there are two very steep slopes down into it. (From the road, and Mountain top sides.)
Over by the Mortuary Church/Chapel, there's another slope down from the car park. It's just not as steep as the other two.
So, there is almost a funnel for surface water to be directed towards the A&E car park.

Looking at that picture - there's a nice wee patch of green grass visible on the town side - and comparatively little surface water on the path! Hmm!
The stream, wherever it may be, may have burst it's banks - but methinks some serious drainage is needed to take up surface water at the edges of the car park, whether the stream bursts its banks, or not, - if flooding is to be prevented in the future.

By the way - where is that photo taken from?
That corridor on the left of the picture looks like the link corridor from the old hospital?

Senna

Noreen1 wrote: »

where exactly is this stream that burst it's banks?

I have no doubt there is a stream and it did over flow, but I would bet money its probably up at windyhall or beyond. The stream is pretty much irrelevant, that amount of water funnelling down a large hill is always going to find its way to the first hollow on the hill, the new A&E being the first hollow.
No excuse for it, the planners should be brought to account for professional negligence, plenty of buildings are built in hollows but storm drains should have been incorporated into the design.

derossi

Noreen1 wrote: »

I was thinking about that last night.
As Salonfire asked - where exactly is this stream that burst it's banks?
And how did sewage get into the floodwater? I thought Letterkenny had a sewage system? So, if the sewage pipes are underground, and this is surface water, from a presumably nearby stream....?

Also - I smell a rat as to how this stream could cause that level of flooding anyway!
The new A&E is in a hollow - but if you look down from the entrance from the main road, there are two very steep slopes down into it. (From the road, and Mountain top sides.)
Over by the Mortuary Church/Chapel, there's another slope down from the car park. It's just not as steep as the other two.
So, there is almost a funnel for surface water to be directed towards the A&E car park.

Looking at that picture - there's a nice wee patch of green grass visible on the town side - and comparatively little surface water on the path! Hmm!
The stream, wherever it may be, may have burst it's banks - but methinks some serious drainage is needed to take up surface water at the edges of the car park, whether the stream bursts its banks, or not, - if flooding is to be prevented in the future.

By the way - where is that photo taken from?
That corridor on the left of the picture looks like the link corridor from the old hospital?

The stream burst it banks in the top right of that picture. There is two burns that meet just before that drainage tunnel behind the mortuary. The drain could not handle the volume of water that would have come from the Glencar, Mountain Top area. This water travels down under the side of the hospital and out down beside Oatfield sweet factory. That picture is taken just above where the ambulances bring patients in to A & E. There should be no real sewerage issues with it but it will still all need to be decontaminated.

It is an absolute disaster, millions of euro will be needed to sort it and the knock on of it will last for a long time!