Hospitals across Southern California reported that high numbers of patients with breathing problems caused by this week’s wildfires visited emergency rooms. He said air purifiers were put in high-risk areas of the hospital to keep the air as clean as possible. As the fires grow unpredictable because of heavy Santa Ana winds, hospital officials have had to improvise to deal with staffing shortages, road closures and evacuations. Ventura County Medical Center took in 20 patients from Vista Del Mar Hospital in Ventura, a psychiatric hospital that was evacuated and burned by the fires, Murphy said. A few critically ill patients from Santa Paula Hospital and Ventura County Medical Center were transferred to nearby facilities, Murphy said.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 08, 2017 19:18 UTC