The MUHC has discovered what it's calling "suspicious items" blocking the drains at the Glen site, including latex gloves and newspaper.
For months, there have been reports of flooding and overflowing toilets at the Glen site. Tests were run on the pipes and they were found to be in good order.
But the tests uncovered another possible cause for the problems -- latex gloves and newspapers in the pipes of employee toilets.
CTV Montreal has obtained photos of gloves being pulled from a toilet in a room that can only be accessed by hospital staff, and a damaged pneumatic tube receiving station in the MUHC labs. A source described how a rolled up newspaper was pulled from another drain.
The hospital is conducting an investigation into the discoveries, analyzing video footage and employee access card data.
The hospital is also investigating an employee who was allegedly caught vandalizing the pneumatic tube system. That system brings blood and other samples from patients to the lab for testing.
MUHC worker’s union representative Mary Ann Davis says the plumbing problems pre-date the arrival of staff and patients to the site.
She said since the hospital was a multimillion-dollar project, both the MUHC and province have a vested interest in keeping criticisms on how the hospital’s being managed to a minimum.
“It’s billions of dollars being wasted in this project. … It’s expected that they’re going to pick on our members because they want us to be quiet, but we’re not going to be quiet.”
Davis also addressed the broken tube, saying one damaged bucket can’t explain blood samples employees say have gone missing and delays in getting samples to the lab.
