United States: As Hurricane Milton approached the west coast of Florida, hospitals were getting ready for the storm. Milton is expected to hit land just south of Tampa late Wednesday night. In areas where people have been ordered to leave, long-term care facilities have moved their patients to safer places. Some hospitals are planning to stay open during the storm to help those in need, according to the Associated Press.
On the website of Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, 10 hospitals had evacuated by Tuesday afternoon. At the same time, 300 health care facilities have evacuated — 63 nursing homes and 169 assisted living facilities.
Steve McCoy, the Chief of Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Emergency Medical Oversight said that it was the largest evacuation in the state.
However, not all the hospital will be evacuated.
As reported by HealthDay, Tampa General hospital has on average over five days’ stock of critical supplies like food products, linens and 5 000 gallons of water as the AP noted. The hospital also possesses an energy plant with generators and boilers situated at the height of 33 feet Sea Level.
Tampa General used an “aquafence” during Hurricane Helene only two weeks ago to stop storm-surge flooding. This barrier will also be rebuilt for Milton and can definitely hold up to a 15 ft storm surge. Milton’s surges will be 10 to 15 feet at its highest point, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, as the AP said.
Sarasota Memorial Hospital is also readying itself for the bad outcome. With about an hour’s car drive from Tampa, the hospital is not leaving because it’s the largest and the most secure hospital around.
“We’re probably on the highest ground in Sarasota and we’re the largest hospital,” said David Verinder, president and CEO of the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System to NBC News. “We just have way too many patients to take of,” said a nurse who preferred to remain anonymous.
Just in case, the necessary food and water supplies for at least one week have been stocked in the hospital system to cater for the events following the hurricanes.
There is also linens, you know what? Everything that you have to need is available, according to Verinder. ‘They are afraid and they stress that we cannot guarantee them that someone will be able to make any deliveries through the weekend.’ Well, at least we’re planning for it so we’re at least planning for seven days.”
According to NBC News, hospital staff members will work in two main shifts.
The A team, which includes a couple hundred physicians, will stay at the hospital through the storm, Verinder said. They’re going to be prepared to sleep and rotate shifts for almost three days.”