An unexpected power outage at Victoria General Hospital cancelled all scheduled surgeries Monday.
An underground cable linking the hospital into the power grid failed and it took BC Hydro several hours to establish a temporary over-ground connection.
Appointments for 30 non-emergency surgeries and 14 endoscopic procedures were pushed back to a later date. Generators provided limited power for essential services, allowing the hospital to still perform emergency surgeries if needed.
The emergency department remained open, though there was a chance some trauma cases would be diverted to the Royal Jubilee Hospital or to the Lower Mainland.
Patients staying in the hospital were served cold meals for the day. The air conditioning and laundry service were both down.
The power was still out Monday afternoon, with Hydo estimating it would resume by 8 p.m.that night.