Critically ill infants, children and other patients in need of critical care are being evacuated from Texas hospitals and other facilities in advance of the potentially deadly Hurricane Harvey.
Texas Health and Human Services (THHS) officials evacuated all residents and staff from a Corpus Christi state-supported living center Friday morning. This move follows the evacuation of critically ill infants from Driscoll Children’s Hospital. Hurricane Harvey is expected to cross the Texas coast just north of Corpus Christi on Friday evening or early Saturday morning.
The hospital moved the babies from Driscoll to Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth Thursday evening and Friday morning, Cook Children’s Medical Center officials reported.
THHS officials stated they are making preparations to help Texans get through the expected lengthy recovery period parts of the state will face after Hurricane Harvey leaves the coastal area and moves northeast next week.
“We are working with the Texas Division of Emergency Management to make sure we’re ready to help as soon as the storm ends,” HHS Executive Commissioner Charles Smith said in a statement obtained by Breitbart Texas. “We are also executing our plans to keep people in state hospitals and state supported living centers safe during the storm.”
By Friday morning, the health agency moved residents from its State Supported Living Center in Corpus Christi to facilities in San Antonio. “Many of the Corpus Christi SSLC residents require wheelchairs and have other special needs, and their protection and comfort is always our top priority,” officials stated. “We are thankful to report that our residents are safe and that their needs are being met by our diligent and caring staff members who traveled with them.”
Texas officials also reminded those being evacuated to not leave their pets behind.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.