Midland Memorial Hospital Deals With Influx Of Patients After Fatal Train Crash
By: Dylan Brooks
Updated: November 16, 2012
MIDLAND -- Midland Memorial Hospital was flooded with patients after Thursday's fatal train crash in Midland.
M.M.H. called a Code 1000 -- meaning that they weren't accepting any other patients, aside from those from the crash.
Although emotions were running high from the gravity of the situation, doctors say everyone reacted perfectly, and they were able to get control of the situation.
"Something like this ends up being controlled chaos, and it was a little chaotic," Dr. Russell Sawyer of Midland Memorial Hospital tells Big 2. "I say there were so many people because so many departments mobilized so well and so quickly so we had a lot of people who were available, and we just had to coordinate where we were going and what we were doing."
Dr. Sawyer says that 2 people were still in the intensive care unit Friday.
One of those people -- a paraplegic -- was operated on Thursday night.
Dr. Sawyer says that person's back fracture was stable Friday, and they will move on with the ongoing care and go on to rehabilitation.
Another patient remained in critical condition Friday.
Dr. Sawyer said that person was expected to undergo additional surgery on Friday afternoon.
Dr. Sawyer is making arrangements to transfer the second patient to a hospital near their home town.
M.M.H. called a Code 1000 -- meaning that they weren't accepting any other patients, aside from those from the crash.
Although emotions were running high from the gravity of the situation, doctors say everyone reacted perfectly, and they were able to get control of the situation.
"Something like this ends up being controlled chaos, and it was a little chaotic," Dr. Russell Sawyer of Midland Memorial Hospital tells Big 2. "I say there were so many people because so many departments mobilized so well and so quickly so we had a lot of people who were available, and we just had to coordinate where we were going and what we were doing."
Dr. Sawyer says that 2 people were still in the intensive care unit Friday.
One of those people -- a paraplegic -- was operated on Thursday night.
Dr. Sawyer says that person's back fracture was stable Friday, and they will move on with the ongoing care and go on to rehabilitation.
Another patient remained in critical condition Friday.
Dr. Sawyer said that person was expected to undergo additional surgery on Friday afternoon.
Dr. Sawyer is making arrangements to transfer the second patient to a hospital near their home town.
