LA Hospital Power Failure Hits ICU as Firefighters Rush to Save Patients

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) is evacuating patients from a hospital in the city, after the facility was hit by a power outage early on Tuesday, according to reports.

The department issued an alert at about 12:45 a.m. local time, writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, that a medical evacuation was ongoing at the Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital in the heart of the city.

Journalist Marc Ambinder reported the incident on X, writing that the LAFP was "rushing to evacuate critically-ill patients, some on ventilators, from White Memorial Hospital, near downtown LA."

Hospital U.S.
A U.S. Marine veteran holds onto his bed rails as he is treated by medical workers in a negative pressure room in the Covid-19 ward at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare... JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images

He added: "A sudden power outage plunged the entire facility into darkness, including the ICU and emergency rooms. 20 ambulances are on their way to the scene for immediate action."

In an initial update on its website, the LAFD wrote that it is "working with White Memorial staff and identifying prioritization of patients requiring transport to a new hospital with those on ventilators (assisted breathing) receiving top priority."

According to the department, 11 patients were identified as the initial priority.

The power outage has made elevators unusable, forcing firefighters to "physically transport patients down from upper floors to awaiting ambulances."

A total of 241 patients were affected by the power outage in one building—the Specialty Care Center—at White Memorial Hospital campus, LAFD wrote about an hour later on its website in a follow-up.

About 30 patients were deemed "critical" and needed to be transported by LAFD ambulances to a new hospital, the department wrote. The remaining 211 patients, LAFD said, are non-critical and will be moved to a different building on campus, the South Tower.

If necessary, firefighters are ready to help medical staff with the transport of the non-critical patients.

It isn't yet clear what caused the power outage and whether it's in any way linked to Hilary, the tropical storm that hit Southern California and Los Angeles on Sunday, inundating streets with rainwater and mud.

Newsweek has contacted the LAFD and White Memorial Hospital campus for comment by phone and email, respectively.

LAFD confirmed to Newsweek that the power outage is ongoing and that this is still an active operation for the department.

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About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

Writers Page

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more