St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children had flooding in ORs after fire sprinkler broke
St. Chris remains open, including its emergency department. Trauma cases are temporarily being sent to other pediatric facilities.
St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children temporarily closed its 11 operating rooms this week after a sprinkler malfunction caused significant flooding at the North Philadelphia facility.
“A sprinkler system malfunction has resulted in a temporary reduction in available operating rooms,” St. Chris said in a statement Wednesday. “Restoration work is underway to return the space to full capacity as quickly as possible.”
A video obtained by The Inquirer showed water spraying from a hole in the wall, and the floor completely covered with water, while an alarm sounded in the background. The sprinkler broke Monday evening.
The rest of the hospital remains open, including the emergency department, through trauma cases will be sent to other pediatric facilities until operating room capacity is restored, St. Chris said. That could take 7-10 days.
St. Chris provides a crucial healthcare safety in a low-income area of Philadelphia. It received 80% of its $316.6 million revenue last year from Medicaid, which pays lower rates than commercial insurers. That makes it vulnerable to financial shocks like the current OR closure.
