Flooding affected ER at Misericordia Hospital

The emergency department of Edmonton'sMisericordia Hospital has fully reopened after it was affected by flooding earlier Thursday.

Eight ceiling tiles came down in the cafeteria after a pipe ruptured on the second floor while workers were repairing damage from last year's flood.

Although Health Minister Stephen Mandel said earlier that the ER was closed, patients could still walk in. Ambulances could not take patients to the ER and were directed to other Edmonton hospitals for about three hours.

Although the ER hasfully reopened, the cafeteria and the Institute for Reconstructive Sciences and Medicine remain closed.

This is the second flood at the aging hospital this year and the third since May 2013.

NDP Leader Rachel Notleysaid Mandel needs to step up and build a replacement.

"His decision that this somehow needs more deliberation and more study is absolutely ridiculous," she said.

Mandelwould not say whether a replacement for thefacility is on the way.

Were evaluating the option of what we need to do," he told reporters. "The fact really exists that both Edmonton and Calgary have a shortage of acute care beds. We need to look at plans. Right now were just in the early stage of evaluating.