Atlanta Hospitals Accept Hurricane Matthews Patients From South Carolina

Six patients from South Carolina that were injured in South Carolina have already been accepted by Atlanta area hospitals, authorities said, and local hospitals are ready to accept more if needed.

The six patients have been checked into WellStar Atlanta Medical Center and WellStar Atlanta Medical Center South, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. So far no patients have been accepted at Grady Memorial, but staff there says there are ready and able to accept injured patients if needed.

Area hospitals are keeping in contact with State Operations Center, which alerts medical teams as to how many beds are available for patients at any given time.

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal ordered evacuations for approximately 500,000 state residents in advance of Hurricane Matthew on Thursday.

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley ordered four counties to evacuate, including the Charleston area.

President Obama has declared a state of emergency for the state of Florida.

There is a possibility that Hurricane Matthew could impact southern Virginia. Governor Terry McAuliffe signed an emergency order on Friday, giving public and private agencies the approval to assist in relief efforts as needed.

Image courtesy of WellStar Atlanta Medical Center.