HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Hospitals in the Houston area are overwhelmed in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. The Texas Division of Emergency Management reported that 12 hospitals in Harris County remain in internal disaster mode, though they did not specify which hospitals are affected.
According to a spokesperson from Harris Health, neither Ben Taub nor LBJ Hospital is among the hospitals in disaster mode, but both facilities are facing severe challenges. Ben Taub treated 320 emergency room patients on Wednesday, which is 34% more than on a typical high-volume day. Many patients are seeking dialysis because their usual providers still lack power.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick mentioned at a news conference on Wednesday that a police officer who was shot in the leg couldn’t get a room when the mayor visited him the next day due to the overwhelming number of patients. The inability to discharge patients to homes without power has led to a backlog of ambulances waiting to drop off new patients.
State officials have reported delays exceeding three hours. To alleviate the pressure on hospitals, NRG Park is accommodating some discharged patients and will eventually house up to 250 people. Additionally, the state has dispatched 25 ambulances from other parts of Texas.
However, these measures won’t help Gunter Grigo, a diabetic resident of Greenspoint whose apartment still lacks power while the other half of his complex has it. He has been storing his three-month supply of insulin in an ice-filled cooler in his car trunk and anticipates sleeping at his office due to the unbearable heat in his apartment.
“I couldn’t sleep in here,” Grigo said, pointing to his apartment. “No way. I’d probably die. I think I would. This heat is just unbearable.”
