Tuesday, August 22, 2023 2:07PM
BOYLE HEIGHTS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Emergency crews evacuated hundreds of patients, including NICU infants and other people on ventilators, from White Memorial Hospital in Boyle Heights following a major power outage.
The outage was reported around 11 p.m. Monday at the hospital’s Specialty Care Center, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. That part of the hospital contains the NICU, OB GYN and Special Aid rehabilitation departments, fire officials said.
At least 241 patients were impacted, and most of them were moved to another building of the hospital that does have power.
About 21 of those patients were considered in critical condition and were rushed to other hospitals in ambulances, including 14 infants from the NICU.
Firefighters had to physically carry patients down stairs because the elevators were not working.
“Because of the fact that no elevators were working… firefighters had to work together in conjunction with doctors on site and provide that same level of care that you would have with a ventilator or with special equipment and then go down those flights of stairs,” said LAFD Captain Cody Weireter.
Officials also said a woman gave birth during the complete blackout, and battery-powered flashlights were used to make the delivery happen. The conditions of the mother and infant was not available.
It’s not clear what caused the power outage or when power is expected to be back on.
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