Hospital ship Mercy to Los Angeles, military field hospitals to New York and Seattle

[turbinetree]

Source: Military Times

Meghann Myers

In anticipating that the COVID-19 epidemic will soon overwhelm Los Angeles-area hospitals, the Naval Base San Diego hospital ship Mercy is getting underway Monday afternoon to take the pressure off.

The ship will have more than 1,100 personnel on board, according to the commanding officer of the ship’s medical treatment center, and should arrive at the Port of Los Angeles later this week, ready to go operational the following day.

“Essentially every patient transfer will be an inter-hospital transfer,” Capt. John Rotruck told reporters Monday. “We’re prepared to offer pretty broad range of critical care and other care.”

Officials reiterated that the Mercy, which has 1,000 beds and a dozen operating rooms but is not set up to follow the kinds of isolation protocol needed to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus, will be taking in patients from local medical centers in order to free up beds and equipment for COVID-19 patients.


Read more: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/03/23/hospital-ship-mercy-to-los-angeles-military-field-hospitals-to-new-york-and-seattle/

[BumRushDaShow]

1. And that is because the hospital ship "Comfort" is undergoing maintenance

on the east coast and can in no way suddenly head up to NY (so they get the field hospitals there for now).

[BigmanPigman]

2. I heard The Mercy wouldn't be ready for another week.

Good, they are stepping things up.