Photo By Staff Sgt. Alon Humphrey | Dr. Carlos Rivera, medical director of the Renal Center of San Sebastian, cares for a...... read more read more
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After the devastation left behind by Hurricane Maria, the Renal Clinic of San Sebastian in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico was left without the power they needed to provide the treatment necessary for the lives of their patients.
But they didn’t let a hurricane stop their efforts to provide their public service and save lives.
“I have to say, it was a miracle,” said Dr. Jaime Da Silva, a renal specialist at the center. “We had no communications at all. Many of the roads were totally blocked with flooding in many areas. Even with the chaos over the island we were able to open the unit and start dialysis treatment.”
Doctors and staff combed all throughout the local area to find enough food and water to reopen the clinic, and paid out-of-pocket to keep the generators going to provide their patients’ lifesaving treatments.
“Some of the staff lost everything, and even [with] their circumstances they managed to get here and come to work and keep these patients alive,” Da Silva said.
Now, with help from FEMA and the Department of Health and Human Services, the San Sebastian clinic is fully operational and ready to give full treatments to their patients again.
The DHHS, FEMA, and other government agencies have been doing their part to support life sustaining efforts in Puerto Rico by providing resources to dialysis centers across the island and monitoring their needs.
“We’ve had a very positive experience especially now working with FEMA and different agencies,” said Ruby Harford, president and CEO of Atlantis Health Care Group – Puerto Rico. “When we have needed water, when we’ve needed the diesel they have been very proactive with us.”
The San Sebastian clinic has up to 27 patients receiving treatment at any given time. There are 44 total clinics across the island that are currently operational and receiving government aid.
Each dialysis treatment takes about four hours and is crucial for patients with late stage renal disease.
“It’s really important; it’s vital for the patient to continue living,” said Dr. Carlos Rivera, medical director of the Renal Center of San Sebastian. “If the patient in end stage renal disease does not receive dialysis they could die in a couple of weeks.”
The doctors of the Renal Center of San Sebastian truly care about their patients. In the days after the storm, providers and staff gave rides to those who had no means to make it to the center for the treatment they so desperately needed.
“The people here are very humble and very friendly, and its like a family here,” one patient said. “I’ve been here eight years, and I know everybody here. I get along with everybody because we ARE a family, and I get a good treatment.”
One of the Department of Health and FEMA’s most significant goals is providing the most vulnerable of those affected by Hurricane Maria the resources they need when they need it most.
“Every day we are monitoring the facilities,” said Commander Todd Johnson with the US Public Health Service. “We are doing daily reports and getting information from the providers on how many treatments they’re providing and how many patients they’re seeing.”
The DHHS and FEMA have been working hand-in-hand with the local providers to get them back on their feet. The overarching aim is to get each dialysis facility to a self-sustaining status and back to normal operations as soon as possible.
“Even though the dialysis providers on the island have their own vendors to give them water or diesel, if they have any shortfalls or delivery issues we have been working with FEMA to fill those shortfalls,” Johnson said.
| Date Taken: | 10.16.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 10.18.2017 16:58 |
| Story ID: | 252177 |
| Location: | SAN SEBASTIAN, PR |
| Web Views: | 450 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Puerto Rico dialysis centers receive FEMA, DHHS support after Maria, by SSG Thomas Calvert, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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