In an effort to get hospitals back on-line after hurricane Katrina, Jani-King International has delivered supplies and personnel to devastated facilities along the Gulf Coast. Several hospitals at which Jani-King is contracted to clean have been completely emptied of patients and staff while others are open and treating a limited number of patients.
Making recovery efforts difficult are conditions that have not been experienced before on such a large scale. Jani-King franchise owners and support staff are dealing with unique challenges including limited electric power, little or no water pressure, failed sewer systems and stifling indoor temperatures.
“In some facilities we are providing additional staff to relieve the personnel that have become exhausted from working long hours in difficult conditions. In other facilities, we are removing trash, linens and other soiled items inside the hospitals where temperatures are consistently between 100 and 130 degrees,” says Mark Regna, Director of Healthcare Services at Jani-King International. “Proper hydration and protective gear is critical to the health and safety of our workers.”
This is not the first time that Jani-King has been called on to rescue a hospital’s operation after a natural disaster. In 2004, Jani-King coordinated relief efforts at several Florida hospitals when healthcare service was disrupted during hurricane Ivan. According to Regna, “healthcare administrators must have an emergency plan for when the hospital itself becomes a victim.” He also advises that the emergency plan be coordinated for worst-case scenario events so that the hospital may recover more quickly.
