Hospital ships Trump sent to Los Angeles and New York have treated fewer than 40 patients
The U.S. Navy hospital ship Mercy, which Trump sent to Los Angeles to help treat non-COVID-19 patients and thus relieve congestion in Southern California hospitals, has treated a total of 15 patients. since it arrived at the port of Los Angeles last Friday, according to the ship's commander.
Mercy's commander-in-chief, Captain John Rotruck, said in a call with reporters that There are currently 10 patients on the ship and five have been discharged.
Rotruck said the patients are transferred after being referred by hospitals through a county medical alert center, to which the Mercy ship has been added.
The medical ships Trump sent to Los Angeles and New York to assist local hospital networks during the coronavirus pandemic they have accepted less than 40 patients so far, despite having 2,000 beds and 1,800 healthcare professionals.
Specifically, in the first week after arrival at both ports, Mercy and Comfort ships have treated 17 and 20 patients, respectively, which is less than 2% of its total combined capacity.
"The total number of patients treated on board the Mercy so far reflects that the Navy dispatched this capability ahead of need, allowing the crew to train, prepare, and ultimately accept patients on the dock," he justified. Lt. Ada Willis in her statements.
However, the authorities in both cities had described the arrival of the boats just a few days ago as an "incredible gift" for the inhabitants of Los Angeles and New York.
"This incredible gift from the people of this country to the port of Los Angeles is a powerful resource for survival in our city," applauded the mayor of Los Angeles last Friday, Eric Garcetti.
"This ship is now the largest hospital in Los Angeles," he added then.
As of this Friday, there have been more than 4,000 cases and 78 deaths from the new coronavirus in Los Angeles County, according to official data.
The US Navy's justification, however, it cannot be applied in the case of New York.
The Comfort arrived in the New York city to immediately alleviate a city in a health crisis with 50,000 coronavirus patients and with various field hospitals installed in emblematic places such as Central Park or the facilities of the US Tennis Open.
About the underutilization of the Navy ship moored in Manhattan, the Mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, expressed his hope that more income will be registered soon in his facilities, which can accommodate up to 750 patients and that between Monday, when the ship arrived in the city, and Thursday, they had received only 20.
"I have spoken to our fellow Navy officers. I have no doubt that that number is going to change very quickly, ”De Blasio said Friday during an interview on the MSNBC station.
"I'm sure that ship will be very full soon. They have to be smart about what cases to try and create a protocol that will work because there will be a lot of movement very quickly next week, "added the mayor, who said he was" sure "that in the next few days they will be prepared.
For his part, the Governor of the State of New York, Andrew Cuomo, recalled that the Navy did not want people infected with COVID-19 and that the objective was to drain the hospitals of the rest of patients with other pathologies, among other things due to the "difficulties" in disinfecting the ship later.
"So hospitals are not dealing with patients experiencing these cases," added the governor, who reported today that the Javits Center Manhattan field hospital is finally going to welcome coronavirus sufferers to help the system.
Faced with these numbers, a senior executive from the city's hospital sector called the situation aboard the Comfort a “joke”.
"If I'm frank about it, this is a joke. Everyone can say, 'Thank you for putting up these wonderful places.' But we are in a crisis here, we are on a battlefield ", Michael Dowling said, head of New York's largest hospital system, Northwell Health, to the New York Times.
From the Armed Forces also anticipated this Friday that "as the need grows", the two vessels will be used "in a solid way", without giving more details about it.
With information from ABC 7 and EFE
