A minor glitch is delaying the launch of the new Montfort Hospital, a $300-million facility that's poised to become one of the most technically advanced in the country.
The official opening of the new state-of-the-art facility will be delayed by three days due to a problem with the hospital's magnetic locks which are responsible for simply locking the hospital's doors - something that's important on the mental health floor and obstetrics.
"It is a safety, security issue," said Montfort Hospital President and CEO Gerald Savoie. "This door has a special magnetic mechanism that locks down the door and so forth."
Patient transfer
The patient transfer is expected to take place on Wednesday and will impact more than 100 people.
"With respect to the movement of patients, it will take place in about three to five minutes each, so we don't anticipate any concerns," said Ann Salvador, director of the hospital's family birthing unit.
Top technology in the world
When patients do make the move to the new unit on Montreal Road, they will be introduced to some of the top technology in medicine from around the world.
As a result of the Montfort expansion project, the hospital will double its surgeries, helping to reduce wait times in the region. A boost in the number of cancer surgeries is also expected to translate into faster diagnosis.
A digital mammography machine at the hospital is the first of its kind in Canada and a new digital x-ray machine is expected to do twice the work.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Kimothy Walker
