For Houston’s Hospitals, Returning To Business As Usual May Take Weeks
But the chief executive officer of the council that has overseen catastrophic medical operations during Harvey has praisea the storm response coordination of hospitals, first responders and civic leaders.
Stat:
Houston Hospitals May Not Be Back To Normal For A Month
Amid the evacuation of approximately 1,500 patients from Houston-area hospitals, officials are commending the emergency response by health providers — while also cautioning that it may be weeks before the facilities are back to business as usual. The SouthEast Texas Regional Advisory Council — which has overseen catastrophic medical operations since Hurricane Harvey as part of Houston’s emergency command center — estimates that nearly two dozen hospitals have evacuated patients by ambulance and airplane over the course of the past week. (Blau, 8/30)
The Washington Post:
Some Hospitals Evacuated, But Houston’s Medical World Mostly Withstands Harvey
The first ambulances finally arrived at Ben Taub Hospital, in the heart of Houston’s vast Texas Medical Center, to remove five patients clinging to life on ventilators. The county hospital had initially planned to transfer all of its 350 patients. As the remnants of Hurricane Harvey continued to unleash epic rains, a foot of water was rising in the hospital’s basement from a burst pipe and wet seeping in from the city’s inundated streets. The kitchen was knocked out, as well as the pharmacy and the area where supplies such as linens and needles are stored. (Goldstein and McGinley, 8/30)
The New York Times:
A Sea Of Health And Environmental Hazards In Houston’s Floodwaters
Officials in Houston are just beginning to grapple with the health and environmental risks that lurk in the waters dumped by Hurricane Harvey, a toxic stew of chemicals, sewage, debris and waste that still floods much of the city. Flooded sewers are stoking fears of cholera, typhoid and other infectious diseases. Runoff from the city’s sprawling petroleum and chemicals complex contains any number of hazardous compounds. Lead, arsenic and other toxic and carcinogenic elements may be leaching from some two dozen Superfund sites in the Houston area. (Tabuchi and Kaplan, 8/31)
NPR:
Need For Dialysis Soars For Harvey Evacuees In Houston
Among the most pressing medical needs facing Houston at the moment: getting people to dialysis treatment. At DaVita Med Center Dialysis on Tuesday afternoon, nurses tended to dozens of patients on dialysis machines while another 100 people waited their turn. Some were clearly uncomfortable, and a number said they hadn't been dialyzed in four days. Those delays can be life-threatening. (Hersher and Hsu, 8/30)