Medical staff at London's St. Joseph's Health Care had to scramble yesterday to keep oxygen flowing to patients after a construction crew accidentally cut the main supply line to the hospital. "There were alarms going off all over the place," said Dr. Gillian Kernaghan, vice-president of medical and professional affairs at the hospital.

The hospital was forced to cancel all elective surgeries, the intensive care unit was closed to external admissions and the neonatal intensive care unit was shut down to regional admissions. Pregnant women who might need oxygen were sent to London Health Sciences Centre.

Kernaghan said patients, including babies in the neonatal intensive care unit, were kept supplied by backup oxygen units.

"Immediately, staff deployed and got oxygen tanks to each one of them, so no one was adversely affected as far as their health was concerned.

"It's very scary because of the number of people on oxygen."

The main line was cut about 11 a.m. by construction crews working on the new G. A. Huot Surgical Centre and Diagnostic Imaging Centre.

"We carried on with urgent surgeries that needed to be done," Kernaghan said.

The hospital also continued to perform cataract surgery and lithotripsy, the breaking of kidney stones using shock waves, because the procedures don't require oxygen.

By 5 p.m., the line was repaired and back in service.

The hospital said all elective surgeries and procedures planned for today would proceed. Surgeries and other procedures that were cancelled will be rescheduled as quickly as possible.

Although the hospital closed its intensive care unit to external admissions, Kernaghan said if someone showed up at emergency needing help, they would have received it.

"We have emergency supplies of oxygen, but we wanted to make sure those could be extended as long as possible."

St. Joseph's president Cliff Nordal thanked patients and families for their understanding during the disruption.

"Also, I want to thank staff members who responded to this situation immediately and effectively to ensure patient safety," Nordal said.