VU Medical Center fully evacuated after water main break

All patients are being evacuated from the VU Medical Center in Amsterdam-Zuid after a burst in the water main caused flooding in the area. The flooding has caused a number of problems for the hospital. The expectation is that the hospital will be closed at least a week. In a press conference VUmc director Wouter Bos confirmed that they can not guarantee that the hospital can run as usual. The biggest concern is the water supply in the hospital - they can not guarantee that the hospital will have fresh and clean water in the coming days. The decision was therefore made to transfer the about 500 patients to other hospitals. Twelve newborn babies in pediatric intensive care have the priority of the patients being transferred. Many patients will be transferred to the AMC hospital. According to Bos, they hope to have the evacuation finished before midnight. Bos, who formerly served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, reiterated that all patients were safe from the moment of the burst in the water main, and that is still the case. Earlier on Tuesday 20 patients were evacuated due to one of the wards not having power. A hotline has been set up for patients' friends and family members. Those in need of more information can call 0800-0200998. According to the Volkskrant, the water entered the hospital via a ramp at the back of the building that is used for deliveries. The water level on floor -1 is up to 60 centimeters high. All of the hospital's facility areas were flooded, including the linen room, the mail room and the kitchen. Employees on the lowest levels of the hospital had to escape their offices through windows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2zQbfOueEc