WHGH will experience an eight-and-a-half-hour planned power outage on Wednesday, October 30

West Haldimand General Hospital (WHGH) will undergo an eight-and-a-half-hour planned power shutdown on October 30, 2024, from 7:30 a.m. to approximately 4:00 p.m. This shutdown is part of a major electrical infrastructure upgrade to reconnect multiple panels and equipment. While this will affect all hospital departments, extensive planning has been done to ensure that patient care and safety remain our top priority.

As part of our preparations, we would like to inform patients and families that they may experience some delays during this period. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work through these necessary improvements.

Key services, including the Emergency Department, inpatient unit, and pharmacy, will remain fully operational to provide uninterrupted care. However, Life Labs will be closed for the day, and we encourage patients to plan accordingly.

The Haldimand Family Health Team Health Care Centre will not be impacted by the outage; however, Ambulatory Care at the Health Centre will not have internet access during the shutdown.

Please note, the power outage will also affect Thrive Group on the second floor and the hearing clinic (Audiology) on the main level. The WHGH Cafeteria will remain open but will only accept cash payments, as debit and credit transactions will be unavailable due to the internet outage. The Volunteer Coffee Shop will be closed for the day.

During the outage, one of the two main patient/visitor elevators will remain operational.

Public washrooms will have temporary lighting installed due to public and patient safety.

During the outage, our staff will be focused on providing high-quality, safe, care to our patients. Our Emergency Department will remain open for emergencies.

This project has involved tremendous work and collaboration from others. Communication with partners and stakeholders has been paramount as we have worked through the planning.

WHGH apologizes for any inconvenience this temporary power reduction may cause and appreciates your support and understanding during this time.

Media Contact:

Aaron Gautreau
Director of Communications and Public Relations
519-426-0130 ext. 2454