As coronavirus hospitalizations began to drop across Texas, Winter Storm Uri paralyzed hospitals with power and water outages, forcing emergency evacuations.
In the city of Austin, several hospitals and care centers are evacuating patients, even as the storm continues outside – and there are not many places for patients to go.
The source sends the memo to patients @dellchildrens pic.twitter.com/VX71KufRnr
– Matt Largey (@mattlargey) February 18, 2021
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“As this is a statewide emergency situation that is also affecting other hospitals in the Austin area, no hospital currently has the capacity to accept the transportation of large numbers of patients,” said David Huffstutler, CEO of St. David’s HealthCare , in a statement to the Texas Tribune.
St. David’s and another hospital in the area, Ascension Seton, are rescheduling non-emergency procedures and elective surgeries, making room for the storm’s flow of patients. At least 10 died in Texas, and freezing temperatures are putting thousands of people without energy at risk.
So far, reserve generators have allowed hospitals to continue operating, but several hospitals in Austin are struggling with water pressure, losing heat and supply, as local authorities issued a boiling water warning on Wednesday.
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“I am personally directing all the resources available in our healthcare system to find solutions to better care for and serve our patients during this challenging time,” Huffstutler told the Austin American-Statesman.
In Houston, where the authorities also issued a boiling water warning, plumbing broke out in several hospitals, reported the Houston Chronicle, and some facilities are operating without running water. The same problems were reported in San Antonio, forcing hospitals to use jugs and water bottles for patients and limiting showers and hand washing.
“We are all working together, just as we did before, extracting resources wherever they exist and then sharing those resources,” Mayor Sylvester Turner told the Houston Chronicle.
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