Greenwood Leflore Hospital was discharging or transferring to various hospitals all of its inpatients on Monday due to a sewage line issue affecting hospital operations.
The patients were being transferred based on bed availability, said hospital spokeswoman Christine Hemphill.
She said approximately 20 patients were being transferred to other hospitals and 12 were being discharged.
The sewage issue emerged on Monday morning and affected not only the hospital but areas around Strong Avenue, Sixth Street and Eighth Street, said Mayor Carolyn McAdams.
Eddie Curry, director of Greenwood Wastewater Treatment, said that sewer outlets in the hospital parking lot and on Strong Avenue were clogged and have since been unclogged. As of late Monday afternoon, however, the hospital's plumbing remained stopped up, and the problem continued to be evaluated.
Hemphill said the only remaining operations inside the hospital for the time being will be the emergency room.
She said it was uncertain when normal operations would resume.
Hemphill said patients stable enough to leave the hospital were being discharged. The others were being transferred by ambulance to medical facilities in surrounding communities.
Appointments for clinics inside the hospital were canceled, including the cancer and infusion center, gastroenterology, pulmonology, Leflore Specialty, the Lucas Surgical Group, Dr. Roger Blake’s clinic and the Wound Care Center.
Clinics not located inside the hospital are remaining open, Hemphill said.
The monthly meeting of the Greenwood Leflore Hospital Board, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, has been moved from the hospital to The Alluvian hotel.
- Contact Kevin Edwards at 662-581-7233 or kedwards@gwcommonwealth.com.
