Officials at Ashford Presbyterian Community Hospital, a 199-bed facility in San Juan, Puerto Rico, said hospital management and administrators slept in the hospital despite the facility losing power when Hurricane Maria made landfall Wednesday, according to CNN.
Margo Silva, director of medical development, marketing and tourism at Ashford Presbyterian, told CNN the hospital cared for 120 patients during the storm. The facility also received 13 evacuees from neighboring St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, some of whom were in critical condition, the report states.
Despite losing power during the storm, Ms. Silva said two of the facility's three backup generators are working. The hospital's air conditioning is also reportedly operational.
San Juan Mayor Carmen Cruz said 200 crews are working on clearing debris, but extensive damage across the island has slowed progress, according to CNN. Federal disaster relief agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Federal Emergency Management Agency, are also unable to communicate with one another due to downed electricity and cellphone lines.
A spokesperson for Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló told BuzzFeed News Sept. 21 the state of the island is worse than expected.
"The restoration of normal life in Puerto Rico is going to take a lot of time. We are going to have to start over in many ways. I've been told that it could take 10 to 15 years, or even longer, to complete [rebuilding efforts]," the spokesperson said.
Prior to making landfall in Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria barreled through the island of Dominica in the West Indies earlier this week. Officials estimate at least 15 people were killed and many more were injured, NBC News reports.
Princess Margaret Hospital, an 800-bed facility in Roseau, Dominica, which serves as the island's main hospital, sustained significant damage and has reportedly been without power since the storm hit late Monday evening. The hospital's intensive care unit is "destroyed" and its backup generator was also flooded during the storm, according to NBC News.