By Kayla Bruch

Vic. Hospital diverts patients after CT scan smoke show

Dec 20, 2014 | 11:22 AM

The Victoria hospital is diverting patients needing a computerized tomography (CT) scan to Saskatoon this weekend.  

This decision was made after lab techs and hospital staff found out the machine was the source of the strong smell of melting plastic and smoke.

John Piggott is the vice president of operations for the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region. He said when he arrived at the hospital on Saturday morning he knew something was wrong with the equipment.

“I mean I could certainly smell it…they say that when that plastic starts to melt it does make a pretty powerful smell,” he said.

At this point Piggott said the fire department has done an inspection and they have called the “all clear,” meaning the hospital can operate normally.

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“The passage [to the CT room] is all clear, it’s just that the equipment has been turned off,” he said.

So far there is no word on what exactly caused the smell, but Piggott said they should know more after the service man arrives.

“We believe it’s really just a fuse or a faulty power board in the CT scanner, so we’ve had to shut the CT scanner down until the Phillips company serviceman can come early this afternoon,” he said.

Piggott said this will pose a problem for the hospital being that normally they have several patients who need scans on the weekend.

“There usually are several scans, unscheduled scans, that have to be taken on patients through the weekend so what it does mean is just that they have to be diverted to Saskatoon,” he said.

All other equipment such as X-ray and ultrasound machines are operating normally and Piggott said the hospital will have a better idea of when the CT machine will be up and running by Saturday afternoon.

The CT scanner was installed in 2005.

kbruch@panow.com

On Twitter:@princealbertnow