Photo: APU GOMES / AFP / Getty Images
Hundreds of patients had to be evacuated from White Memorial Hospital, in Boyle Heights, due to a power outage.
The suspension of electricity service occurred at approximately 11:00 p.m. this Monday at the Hospital Specialized Care Center, located at 1720 East César E. Chávezaccording to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).
Most of the 241 affected patients, including newborn babies and patients on ventilators, were transferred from the emergency area to the South Tower of the same hospitala building that did have electricity.
It was reported that 28 patients, considered in critical condition, were sent by ambulance to other medical centersamong which were 14 babies from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
During the evacuation work, the firefighters had to take the patients from the upper floors of the six-story building down the stairs due to elevators not working due to lack of power.
“The firefighters had to work in tandem with the medics on the scene and provide the same level of care that you would with a ventilator or special equipment and then get them down those flights of stairs,” LAFD Capt. Cody Weireter said.
in the labors of evacuation of the hospital involved 104 firefighters.
During the blackout, a woman gave birth to a girl, while teams of doctors and nurses used battery-powered flashlights to provide care for the patient. Both mother and baby were reported to be in good health.
On Tuesday morning, during a press conference, White Memorial Hospital officials said that the medical center had also run out of power during the morning of this Monday and that since then work had been maintained in the electricity generators.
Officials said the connector that plugs into the generator had blown out due to moisture.
The managers of White Memorial Hospital They could not confirm if the power outage was a consequence of the effects caused by Tropical Storm Hilarywhich impacted Southern California throughout Sunday and Monday morning, or from a common power outage that occurred in the neighborhood.
Crews from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power were working on the scene to restore power to the hospital as soon as possible.
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