Patients from Hurricane Irma receive medical treatment at Dobbins ARB

Twenty-five new patients from the Virgin Islands are in metro Atlanta to get medical help after Hurricane Irma devastated the islands.

Various agencies are providing medical care to hurricane victims. Their needs could range from high blood pressure to critical care. That’s why ambulances are on hand.

Some of them have lost everything.

“Our role here is to support the patients as they get off the aircraft,” said Delena Chappell-James, the VA call center operations director.

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Representatives from local, state and federal agencies awaited them, with wheelchairs, cots and medicine. Many are on dialysis. The patients could range from walking and talking to critical condition.

There’s a large group here in many roles, and they’re doing everything they can for these folks who’ve had a real tragedy in their life,” Chappell-James explained. “We had one patient to come off the plane who hadn’t had dialysis in over a week. That’s critical for a dialysis patient.”

Since Tuesday, Dobbins Air Force Base has received more than 140 hurricane victims needing medical attention. Some, will go to hospitals and those in better conditions, will go to hotels with medical professionals.

Cox Media Group