Mount Sinai’s main hospital suspends elective surgeries due to electrical fire
By JOHN DIAS
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NEW YORK (WCBS) — A fire broke out at Mount Sinai’s main hospital overnight in East Harlem.
CBS New York’s John Dias spoke with many would-be patients who showed up to learn their surgeries needed to be rescheduled.
More than 100 personnel worked for three hours to put out the fire, which hospital officials say started in a generator room in the sub-basement around 12:30 a.m. They had to rush 20 patients to unaffected areas.
“Mount Sinai Health System confirmed today at approximately 12:30 am that a fire broke out in the generator room of the Annenberg Building at The Mount Sinai Hospital. Twenty patients were transported to unaffected areas of The Mount Sinai Hospital. No injuries were reported,” the hospital said in a statement. “Mount Sinai Health System would like to express our sincerest gratitude to front line staff and FDNY first responders.”
The FDNY confirmed six people were injured, including two firefighters who had to be transported to different hospitals for medical aid. The others, who appear to be Mount Sinai patients or staff, were treated at the scene.
The fire also damaged the building’s electrical supply, so only emergency surgeries are being performed Friday, no elective ones.
Andy Dipaul said he and his wife drove their 13-year-old son down from Orange County for an MRI — one they’ll have to reschedule.
“They don’t have the power available to run the MRIs, the recovery room. They’re on 30% power right now,” Dipaul said. “It’s a two hour drive for us. We came down last night and spent a night in the hotel… It’s a big issue for him. He has to go under general anesthesia, can’t eat the night before.”
Many people showed up only to be turned away at the door, no notice before. The hospital isn’t saying when the problem will be fixed.
“Everything else, they send me texts and emails. But to cancel it, no. And I really need to get this done,” said Jose Ruiz, of Chelsea.
Lynn Kutney, of Staten Island, needs an MRI on her back. She said while she understands the circumstances are extreme, so is her pain.
“Annoyed. We had to come, pay for parking, and I don’t think we were in there for five minutes, and they weren’t very pleasant,” she said.
Those who had their elective surgeries canceled said they were not given a reschedule date, so they’re stuck in limbo hoping this doesn’t cause a large backlog.
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