Saugeen Memorial Hospital in Southampton is experiencing an outbreak of a gastrointestinal illness or stomach flu.
Although new patients are not being admitted at this time, all outpatient clinics and the Emergency Department continue to operate as usual.
Visitation is still allowed but visitors are asking that the public report to the Nurses Station before seeing patients and to wash their hands upon entering and leaving. Also, anyone who is feeling ill should not visit.
“We have three patients currently under investigation for gastro intestinal illness, often referred to as stomach flu,” says Mary Margaret Crapper, Chief, Communications & Public Affairs for Grey Bruce Health Services. “When we have any type of communicable illness such as this circulating within a unit, we follow best practices from our local public health unit, and do not admit any new patients requiring an overnight stay. Fortunately, GBHS operates a system of six hospitals, Saugeen Memorial, Owen Sound, Wiarton, Meaford, Markdale and Lion’s Head. Therefore, if any patient in Southampton requires admission to hospital, we will find a bed for them at one of our other sites. This is the same procedure we follow when our Southampton Hospital is full – we transfer patients to one of our other five GBHS hospitals.”
“We will continue to monitor this situation with our infection control experts at Public Health, and hope to begin accepting new inpatients before the end of the week,” adds Crapper.
