Two major utility line breaks forced the evacuation of a Midwest City medical building last week, even as doctors were operating on patients, a fire department spokesman said.

Two patients who were in surgery immediately were moved to a recovery room where doctors finished the procedures as the building was being evacuated. Later, the patients were transported to Midwest Regional Hospital, fire department spokesman David Richardson said.

The southwest corner of the M.D. Medical Tower, 8121 National, lifted four to six inches higher than the rest of the building when the outside water main erupted, forcing water into the structure and the first-floor out-patient operating rooms.
“The nurses in the OR noticed it and moved him (patient) to a recovery room. You could tell where the main broke because the inside walls are buckled,” Richardson said.

A gas line also burst causing all patients and employees inside the four-story building to evacuate.
“The original 911 call stated that the roof was collapsing,” Richardson said. “When we got here, water was coming out every door.”

The building was closed Thursday afternoon until an independent structural engineer could verify the building was safe to re-enter.

Midwest City Community Development Director Billy Harliss confirmed the building was deemed safe with no danger of collapse.

However, Harliss said the building owner must first repair the damage and clean the debris before the building can be open for business.

“Hopefully, they can get back in early next week, at least in the top three floors,” he said.

Crews were working Friday to repair the water main.

“They’re moving as fast as they can,” Harliss said.

Expected repairs
The significant water damage on the first floor will force building owners to replace the concrete slab flooring in the southwest corner, Richardson wrote in an email Friday. The repair work will include the building’s three surgical rooms.
“The facility is hoping to have floors two through four open Monday if all the utility systems check out OK over the weekend,” Richardson wrote. “I have not been given an estimated date on when the ground floor will become operational again. Due to the water damage, it will take much longer for the necessary repairs on the ground floor than the upper floors.”

Elective surgeries

Stan Holm, chief executive officer for Midwest Regional Hospital, said the building’s closure would affect scheduled surgeries and physicians who office there.

“We will assess the situation and plan accordingly,” he said late Thursday.

The hospital does not own the building, but does operate the surgery center, Holm said.

“Our goal is to meet the life safety code for the public and get back in the building,” he said.
All of the surgeries performed at the medical building are elective and can be rescheduled, Holm said.