Pictou County Health Authority

News and Events

Letters to the Editor

To the Editor:

On the evening of November 18, 2002 the Aberdeen Hospital in New Glasgow, for the first time in its history, had to be evacuated because of a bomb threat received.

Senior management and representatives from the medical staff made the decision to evacuate - a decision that was not easy to make. Once we realized it was the right course of action, the New Glasgow police and fire services assisted us in the evacuation of our 92 patients.

To all who assisted during this exercise we offer our sincere thanks. The evacuation was truly a community effort.

To our staff and physicians who responded to this unusual event I offer my tremendous thanks. Every one of them continued to provided patient care in a professional and calm manner.

And finally, to our patients and their families, I offer our sincere thanks. The evacuation was an ordeal they could have done without while in our care. We truly appreciate the cooperation and understanding we received.

As is always in a situation like this, it was a learning experience. We've identified a number of factors that we'll review and ensure are included in our revised evacuation and disaster plan.

Patrick Flinn
Chief Executive Officer
Pictou County Health Authority

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