On Friday, August 25, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Southeastern Texas as a Category 4 storm—devastating homes, roadways, and key structures, such as medical facilities. The death toll has risen to at least 60. Top cancer hospital MD Anderson Cancer Center is among the medical facilities affected by Hurricane Harvey, with the Houston-based hospital canceling treatments and appointments until at least Wednesday, August 30.
In a statement, MD Anderson’s senior vice president and chief medical officer ad interim Karen Lu, MD, said: “High water conditions persist in the Texas Medical Center, and travel should not be attempted. All reported leaks are under control, and patient care has not been impacted.”
“We at MD Anderson are focused on our patients as we manage the impact of this storm,” Lu said in a separate statement. “While our work is far from done, all of us in the hospital are working together to ensure our patients and families feel safe and well cared for.”
Like MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston’s Ben Taub Hospital was also hit heavily by the storm, with the 586-bed, Level I trauma center slated to evacuate all 350 of its patients due to food and medication shortages. (Ben Taub Hospital is located within the Texas Medical Center.)
In a statement posted on CNN.com, Ben Taub public information officer Brian McLeod said: “No lives are at risk, [but the hospital] just need(s) to get enough food to continue to run the house.” Ben Taub patients will be rerouted to other hospitals until further notice.
Also evacuating patients is Baptist Beaumont Hospital. The hospital—located roughly 80 miles from Houston—is moving 193 patients to hospitals outside the city, in addition to discharging those who can go home, due to a failed local water supply.
Interested in helping the victims of Hurricane Harvey? Text 90999 to donate $10 via the American Red Cross. The organization is also asking for volunteers. Other charitable organization seeking donations include the Houston Food Bank and Samaritan’s Purse.
