Sandy Evac Babies Fight for Life:
NYU Langone Medical Center did not evacuate its patients as it had done for Hurricane Irene a year ago and between 7 and 7:45 p.m. Monday, "the hospital's basement, lower floors, and elevator shafts filled with 10 to 12 feet of water and the hospital lost its power," reported CNN. The generators kicked in, but then failed two hours later leaving only emergency lighting in the hallways.
"Four of the newborns were on respirators that were breathing for them, and when the power went out, each baby was carried down nine flights of stairs while a nurse manually squeezed a bag to deliver air to the baby's lungs," the news site reported.
By flashlight, some 1,000 staff members — doctors, nurses, residents, and medical students — along with firefighters and police officers evacuated 260 patients, carrying them down 15 flights of stairs. Respirators for adult patients had batteries and did not need manual respiration.
The evacuation continued beyond 9 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Image: Corbis
