Hospital de Formentera will require further repair work after heavy rainfall from DANA Adam caused new water leaks in its surgical area, forcing the temporary suspension of scheduled operations. The Health Area of Ibiza and Formentera has confirmed that the latest leaks occurred at points different from those repaired following similar problems last year.

Engineering and infrastructure personnel are assessing the damage and determining the work required to prevent further water ingress. The resumption of scheduled surgery will depend on cleaning, microbiological testing and any additional measures deemed necessary to ensure patient safety.

New Water Leaks Affect the Surgical Area

The hospital experienced water infiltration during the intense rainfall that affected Formentera on 19 October. According to the Health Area, water entered through areas of the surgical ante-room that had not been affected by the previous episode.

The earlier leaks had been repaired, but the latest rainfall exposed additional points where water could enter the building.

The Health Area has attributed the new incidents to the exceptionally heavy rainfall recorded during the storm, explaining that the hospital does not normally experience this type of damage during ordinary rainfall.

The hospital building is approaching its 20th anniversary in 2027.

Urgent Repairs Under Assessment

The Health Area has confirmed that further work will be required to prevent additional leaks. On Wednesday, 21 October, engineering and infrastructure personnel visited the hospital to assess the damage and identify the points through which water had entered.

The repairs are being treated as urgent, and the administrative procedures and design of the necessary interventions are already progressing.

However, the scope, cost and duration of the works have not yet been confirmed publicly. The immediate priority is to identify the affected areas and determine the measures required to prevent future water infiltration.

Eight Scheduled Operations Postponed

The incident has affected eight scheduled surgical procedures across the two weeks following the storm.

Two operations had been planned for the week beginning 19 October, with another six scheduled for the following week. Seven of the affected procedures concern general and digestive surgery, while one relates to traumatology.

These are non-emergency interventions that can be rescheduled once the surgical area meets the required safety conditions.

The hospital's operating theatre itself has not suffered damage and remains available for urgent and emergency procedures. Only scheduled surgical activity has been suspended as a precaution.

Microbiological Tests Will Determine the Return of Scheduled Surgery

Before scheduled operations can resume, the affected area must undergo thorough cleaning and disinfection.

The Health Area is working with the Preventive Medicine Service at Hospital Universitario Son Espases in Mallorca, which has recommended the cleaning and hygiene procedures.

Once this work is completed, samples will be collected for microbiological analysis to assess environmental conditions in the affected area.

The samples were expected to be taken towards the end of the week beginning 19 October, with results anticipated approximately ten days later. The findings will help determine whether scheduled surgery can resume or whether further intervention is necessary.

No confirmed date for the return of scheduled surgical activity had been announced in the latest available information.

Maternity Services Continue to Operate Normally

The initial response to the storm included a precautionary measure to transfer scheduled obstetric activity to Hospital Can Misses in Ibiza, while urgent and emergency births would continue to be attended in Formentera.

However, following a further assessment, the Health Area confirmed that the maternity unit could continue operating normally. No births had needed to be transferred during the period of precautionary restrictions.

The current disruption is therefore focused on scheduled surgery, while the maternity unit and urgent surgical services remain operational.

The immediate challenge is to complete the necessary repairs and obtain satisfactory test results so that planned operations can resume safely, while ensuring that any further measures required to prevent water infiltration are identified and addressed.