A major disruption unfolded at one of Perth's busiest hospitals when a patient accidentally caused a sewage pipe to burst, flooding the emergency department and creating chaotic scenes.
Emergency Department Flooded by Sewage
The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Nedlands, when a patient managed to break a sewage pipe within the emergency department facilities. The rupture resulted in raw sewage flooding multiple treatment areas, immediately compromising the clinical environment and forcing staff to take emergency measures.
Hospital authorities confirmed the pipe burst originated from a patient area, though specific details about how the patient caused the damage remain undisclosed due to privacy considerations. The flooding affected several critical sections of the emergency department, including treatment bays and patient care areas.
Immediate Response and Patient Diversions
In response to the contamination crisis, hospital management implemented immediate diversion protocols, redirecting ambulance patients to other metropolitan hospitals. The diversions remained in effect for several hours as cleanup crews worked to contain the biological hazard.
A spokesperson for the North Metropolitan Health Service confirmed the emergency measures, stating that patient and staff safety remained their highest priority. Existing patients within the emergency department were relocated to unaffected areas while specialized cleaning teams addressed the contamination.
The sewage flood created significant operational challenges for the hospital, which serves as a major tertiary referral center for Western Australia. The timing proved particularly difficult during the busy afternoon period when emergency departments typically experience higher patient volumes.
Ongoing Cleanup and Service Impact
As of Wednesday morning, cleanup operations continued throughout the affected areas with hospital authorities working to restore full emergency services. The extensive decontamination process required specialized equipment and cleaning protocols to ensure the environment met hospital-grade sanitation standards.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of critical healthcare infrastructure to unexpected events. While the hospital maintained emergency care capabilities throughout the incident, the diversion of ambulance patients placed additional pressure on neighboring hospitals including Royal Perth Hospital and Fiona Stanley Hospital.
Hospital management has assured the public that normal emergency department operations will resume once the cleanup is complete and all areas meet strict infection control standards. They emphasized that patient care continues in unaffected sections of the hospital, with elective surgeries and other services operating as scheduled.
The cost of the damage and cleanup operation has not been disclosed, though insurance assessors are expected to evaluate the extent of the plumbing damage and required repairs to the emergency department infrastructure.
