Hospitals out of action because of Katrina

Hurricane Katrina has left a trail of devastation in the Mississippi Gulf Coast area, including such serious damage to hospitals that three in the area have had to be evacuated.

According to the Tenet Healthcare Corp, its five hospitals in the New Orleans area and its hospital in the Mississippi Gulf Coast area suffered serious damage from Hurricane Katrina, and three of them have had to evacuate all patients and staff.

As yet the extent of water and wind damage can not be estimated, but it is anticipated that costs will be "significant" even after taking into account existing insurance coverage for property damage and business interruption.

Tenet said the six hospitals in Louisiana and Mississippi, which collectively have 1,277 beds, and an imaging subsidiary with five locations in New Orleans, accounted for about 6 percent of its operating revenue in the first half of 2005.

Apparently all are currently without municipal power and telephone service, and are using back-up generators.

Tenet says to date no hurricane-related injuries to patients have been reported.