Interested in knowing how water damage affects medical facilities?
The stressful problem of water damage becomes even more complicated when it happens at a hospital or medical facility. The extent and scale of the risks amplify when water damage occurs at a medical facility. In addition to damaging the expensive equipment and hygienic premises of a hospital, water damage also poses serious health concerns for the already unwell and weak patients residing in the hospital.
Here are some of the ways in which water can cause damage to medical facilities.
Damaged Equipment
Water damage creates grave risks for the expensive equipment that is present inside a hospital. The diagnostic devices, the x-ray machines and the lab equipment are all sensitive to water and can easily get damaged when exposed to water leaks.
Any damage to the essential medical equipment inside a hospital can become a hindrance to the treatment of countless patients visiting the hospital. Water damage can also cause power failure which can further damage the machines that rely on the constant supply of electricity.
The power failure may not be temporary in nature and last for long periods. The complete shutdown of a medical facility can lead to enormous problems for the hospital administration as the lives of many patients in critical conditions require certain electrical machines for their survival.
Contaminated water damage can also negatively affect the overall hygiene of the hospital. This water can bring germs to places like private operating rooms and contaminate important sterilized instruments.
Mold Contamination
After water damage occurs inside a medical facility, the hospital management should stay alert for the potential development of mold. A building that has water damage is the perfect breeding spot for mold and other contaminants.
The health hazards that potential mold growth presents become even more dangerous when patients with a weak immune system visit the hospital. These patients then become vulnerable targets for infections such as respiratory infections.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it is imperative to handle water damages within24-48 hours. Not taking immediate action can lead to the development of mold in the medical facility.
Negative Effect on the Health of Weak Patients
Although the cost of repairing water-damaged property can exceed millions, it is the patients that are the most affected.
People with weak immune systems and allergies can find it extremely challenging to survive adverse conditions. If the harmful situation turns severe, it can be challenging to evacuate all the patients along with the equipment necessary for their treatment.
Damage to the equipment also directly affects the patients. A lack of properly working medical machines means your patients don’t have access to high-quality equipment anymore.
High Cost of Repair
Hospitals around the world have expensive health care machines. Water damage can render these machines useless. This leads to a loss of millions of dollars for the hospital administration.
There is also the cost of repairing the water pipes and carrying out an extensive inspection to find the source of the problem.
Most importantly, the reputation of the hospital suffers indefinite damage too. Imagine evacuating all the staff and patients because there is water damage inside the hospital.
This is why containing the extent of the damage is crucial for the success of a hospital. The administration should employ all methods to ensure that water damage is eliminated from the premises of a hospital immediately.
