Hurricane Katrina patients evacuated to Wilford Hall

  • Published
  • By Dewey Mitchell
  • 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  Two aircraft loaded with patients and expectant moms landed here Aug. 30 as aircrews and medics evacuated patients from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Critical Care Air Transport Teams and one obstetrics team from Wilford Hall Medical Center flew to Keesler earlier in the day to escort the hospitalized patients here. Keesler Medical Center was flooded by the hurricane and remained without power except for emergency generators.

Keesler, adjacent to Biloxi, Miss., was in the direct path of the hurricane that hit the Gulf Coast Aug. 29.

Shortly after 9 p.m., the C-17 Globemaster III landed with 31 women in their last month of pregnancy accompanied by their families. They were brought by ambulances and buses to Wilford Hall where they were fed a hot meal in the hospital’s dining facility.

Lackland’s family support center, lodging and hospital staff were all on hand at the dining facility to get the moms-to-be settled as quickly as possible.

About 30 minutes later, a C-130 Hercules arrived here with 25 patients who were hospitalized at Keesler. The patients were brought to Wilford Hall, evaluated in the emergency department and taken to the appropriate level of care throughout the hospital.

Wilford Hall has curtailed elective surgeries and patients have been advised to expect delays in service as the medical center is rotating staff members to Iraq while bringing in the additional patients from Keesler.