General ER partially reopens after fire

Theemergency room at TheOttawa Hospital General campus is now opento higher acuity patientswho aretransported by ambulance, fourdays after a transformer fire forced the relocation of dozens of patients and shut power to parts of the hospital.

On Friday afternoon, a hydro vault onthe hospital'sthird floor caught firewhile workers werein the process of replacing it.

Although no patients were on the third flooras the space is devoted to mechanical works about 100 patients in the floors above were forced by smoke and debris damageto relocatewithinthe building or to other facilities.

Those patients are now returning to their original units.

"We were able to fully relocate one unit [Tuesday], and we will continue this process in the coming days," a hospital spokesperson said in an email.

Although the General campus emergency roomhas started accepting some patients, the hospital isstill advising the general public to headelsewhere.

As of Tuesdayafternoon, the General campus remains in a Code Orange,which allows itto divert patients to other emergency departments.