CHICAGO (CBS) — The emergency room at Community First Medical Center in the Portage Park neighborhood was put on the sidelines Thursday.
That means the hospital, located at 5645 W. Addison St., will not be accepting any new patients, including those who come in by ambulance.
The Illinois Department of Public Health said this was due to the high temperatures inside the hospital.
Earlier this month, Hospital workers said they were working in temperatures between 80 and 90 degrees inside the emergency room.
“We are literally having to drown some of our patients in ice packs because we have no other way to keep them cold,” one employee said earlier this month.
The case was not new this month. CBS 2 addressed the matter with staff last year after an ER doctor shared a photo showing industrial fans in outdoor hallways.
CBS 2 took the new round of concerns to officials, who said, in part, that they are “in the process of installing a brand new permanent system,” adding that “about 70% of the new system is now installed,” with more parts on the way.
