StarBulletin.com

Generators power care homes and hospitals


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POSTED: Sunday, December 28, 2008

Emergency generators supplied power to hospitals, retirement homes and care homes during the blackout Friday and early yesterday, with no untoward incidents, officials said.

But five Oahu hospitals were full as of 3 p.m. yesterday - Straub Clinic & Hospital, the Queen's Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, Hawaii Medical Center West and Castle Medical Center, said Emergency Medical Services District Chief Bobby Pedro.

The facilities were at capacity not because of outage-related injuries or illnesses, but because people who need care often are worried when the power goes out, Pedro said.

“;They feel more secure if they go to the hospital, but what they're doing is overloading them at this time,”; Pedro said.

Straub and Kapiolani worked with Health Care Association of Hawaii to coordinate capacity and capabilities during the blackout, said Claire Tong, spokeswoman for Hawaii Pacific Health, which owns both hospitals.

Generators, which can run for three or four days, supplied energy to emergency rooms, intensive care units and hospital floors, she said.

She said incoming patients were typically fall victims or individuals seeking more medication.

One couple came in to charge their baby's feeding tubes. More than one baby was born during the blackout.

A spokeswoman for the Queen's Medical Center said nursing staff safely delivered two babies Friday night during the blackout using an emergency backup lighting system.

“;It didn't really matter, lights on or lights off,”; the spokeswoman said. “;When you're giving birth, you really don't care.”;

Kuakini Medical Center experienced some water pressure problems yesterday morning, but had water throughout the morning, said Moani Wright-Van Alsp, Board of Water Supply spokeswoman. The agency placed a water wagon near the hospital just in case.

Retirement and care homes on Oahu relied on generators and supplies of oxygen tanks during the outage, which lingered throughout the day yesterday in some communities.

“;These people have been through the Depression, they've been through internment camps,”; said Irv Elliott, general manager of Hawaii Kai Retirement Community, which was still without power at 2 p.m. “;This is no big deal.”;

The residents, numbering about 390, “;are doing good,”; he said. “;They are survivors.”;

A few care homes contacted yesterday said the blackout was inconvenient yet mostly uneventful as residents exchanged their TVs for card games and books.

“;We went to bed early last night. We waited until the sun came out. And I didn't take a shower this morning,”; said Phyllis Fletcher, 71, who was putting together a 1,000-piece puzzle at the Hawaii Kai home.

Resident Mary Montoya said she had just stepped off the elevator after eating dinner when suddenly she could no longer see her way to her third-floor room.

“;I said, 'Hey, help, help. I can't see,'”; she said. “;I was like, 'Where do I turn, where do I go?' I couldn't see a thing.”;

Montoya said she stayed with residents who had set up poker and bridge tables in hallways, which were lit with emergency lights, before being guided to her room.

At Manoa Cottage, people had eaten dinner before the power went out, said owner Sandra Shim. She said the 24 residents “;just sort of hung around”; until the energy returned at about 10 a.m. yesterday.

 

Star-Bulletin reporter Robert Shikina contributed to this report.