In the next four days, as many as 2,000 patients will be transferred from New Orleans to hospitals across the state as part of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, said Richard Zuschlag, CEO of Acadian Ambulance.
"Charity Hospital seemed to be in the worse situation because they had the oldest building and the worst damage," he said. "We had planned on using National Guard trucks to evacuate Charity, but a couple of those got bogged down. They're now using boats to get patients out of Charity out to the Causeway."
About 50 ambulances left Tuesday to begin the patient evacuation, he said.
Air ambulances transported 25 neo-natal infants from Tulane University Hospital and transported them to New Iberia, Lafayette and Alexandria, he said.
Two critical babies from New Orleans were flown to Women's & Children's' and then onto Rapides General in Alexandria with a final destination to a children's hospital in Little Rock, Ark.
Another group of medics along with Dr. Ross Judice, Acadian's medical director, were deployed to the Superdome to triage critical patients at that shelter.
"They're trying to sort out the most critical patients in the Superdome and medevac them to Baton Rouge," he said.
Fort Polk has released some of its helicopters for the mission, he said.
Meanwhile, the ambulance service has suspended its routine convalescent transfers.
"We'll take care of 911 emergencies. We're asking people to be patient with us while we're in this mode," he said.
Other hospitals in New Orleans that received less damage from Hurricane Katrina are now worried that flooding will cut off their generators, he said.
"What most people thought would be a normal hurricane was not," he said. "Hospitals were prepared for a weeklong problem, but it will be much longer."
Meanwhile, the company has had limited communications with its operations in Pascagoula and Ocean Springs, Miss.
"We're flying supplies and satellite phones out there," he said. "The biggest communication problems are Slidell and Pascagoula and Ocean Springs. It's like that area has gotten completely wiped out."
Marsha Sills
"Charity Hospital seemed to be in the worse situation because they had the oldest building and the worst damage," he said. "We had planned on using National Guard trucks to evacuate Charity, but a couple of those got bogged down. They're now using boats to get patients out of Charity out to the Causeway."
About 50 ambulances left Tuesday to begin the patient evacuation, he said.
Air ambulances transported 25 neo-natal infants from Tulane University Hospital and transported them to New Iberia, Lafayette and Alexandria, he said.
Two critical babies from New Orleans were flown to Women's & Children's' and then onto Rapides General in Alexandria with a final destination to a children's hospital in Little Rock, Ark.
Another group of medics along with Dr. Ross Judice, Acadian's medical director, were deployed to the Superdome to triage critical patients at that shelter.
"They're trying to sort out the most critical patients in the Superdome and medevac them to Baton Rouge," he said.
Fort Polk has released some of its helicopters for the mission, he said.
Meanwhile, the ambulance service has suspended its routine convalescent transfers.
"We'll take care of 911 emergencies. We're asking people to be patient with us while we're in this mode," he said.
Other hospitals in New Orleans that received less damage from Hurricane Katrina are now worried that flooding will cut off their generators, he said.
"What most people thought would be a normal hurricane was not," he said. "Hospitals were prepared for a weeklong problem, but it will be much longer."
Meanwhile, the company has had limited communications with its operations in Pascagoula and Ocean Springs, Miss.
"We're flying supplies and satellite phones out there," he said. "The biggest communication problems are Slidell and Pascagoula and Ocean Springs. It's like that area has gotten completely wiped out."
Marsha Sills
The Daily Advertiser
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