Florida hopital patients staying in Statesboro

Sixteen South Florida hospital patients are staying at a Statesboro hospital after evacuating the Keys ahead of Hurricane Ike. The patients are from hospitals in Key West and Marathon, Florida and are recovering from either injuries or surgeries.

None of the patients could be released before their hospitals were evacuated, so a National Guard crew flew them in C-1-30 transport planes into Savannah, where ambulances took them to East Georgia Regional Medical Center in Statesboro.

"It really is not unusual for us to get 30-plus admissions per day," said Bob Bigley, the hospital's President and CEO. "The difference here was having sixteen in 30 minutes."

Doctors worked extra shifts to accommodate the new arrivals, who could stay through Wednesday. This is the first time East Georgia Regional has hosted evacuees. Previously, the hospital lacked the medical services needed to do so.