SURREY (NEWS1130) – It will be next week before Surrey Memorial Hospital‘s emergency department fully re-opens following last week’s flood.
    
Meantime, a number of other hospitals continue to pick up the slack.

Restoration work is ongoing at Surrey Memorial, and those who need emergency care continue to be asked to go to the nearby Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre, or to another hospital.
    
Roy Thorpe-Dorward at Fraser Health says demand for emergency care has picked up elsewhere, although it’s been spread over a number of hospitals.

“No one site is being hit particularly hard. Royal Columbian Hospital for example has seen about a 20 percent increase in their emergency department traffic over the past week.”

Fraser Health also continue to assess damage, including a close look at an MRI that could be affected.

“An MRI on its own can run several million dollars, so it’s a pretty big outstanding piece, and we’re having an expert come in mid-week to have a look at it up close.”

Water poured into Surrey Memorial’s ER on November 19 after a watermain break.