General ER back to normal after fire
CBC News | Posted: November 2, 2023 12:39 PM | Last Updated: November 2, 2023
Transformer fire late last week led to patient transfers, ER closure
The Ottawa Hospital's General campus emergency room is back to normal after nearly a week of disruptions because of a fire.
A hydro vault on the hospital's third floor caught fire Friday afternoon while workers were in the process of replacing it.
Nobody was injured, but about 100 patients in the floors above were forced by smoke and debris damage to relocate within the building or to other facilities.
Among them were 17 babies who were transferred by firefighters and hospital staff next door to CHEO, eastern Ontario's children's hospital in Ottawa.
The General's emergency department was closed and surgeries disrupted.
WATCH | What happened after Friday's fire:
Power was restored Monday and on Tuesday, its ER reopened to patients transported by ambulance.
"The Emergency Department is now taking patients and back to regular operations," according to a news release issued Thursday.
'We are so proud of how our whole community came together to support one another and ensure that everyone continued to access the care they needed," the release said.