The planned power outage at South Muskoka Memorial Hospital, which began on April 14 at 8:00 p.m., has been extended until noon on April 15.
The outage was originally scheduled to end at 6:00 a.m. on April 15, but officials said it was extended due to the complexity of upgrading the hospital’s automatic transfer switches.
According to Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) officials, the hospital’s emergency department continues to operate at a reduced capacity and provide emergency care only.
Where appropriate, hospital staff said emergency medical services will continue to redirect patients to Huntsville District Memorial Hospital, which will provide full emergency services during the outage. This approach helps ensure timely access to care while allowing the necessary upgrades to be completed safely.
“Extensive coordination and planning have been undertaken to ensure patient safety remains the top priority throughout the process,” said officials.
Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare officials said contingency and mitigation plans are in place, involving paramedic services, municipal emergency management teams, police and fire services, regional hospitals, and community partners to support critical services in the event of an unexpected external power interruption during the upgrade.
