The Rand Memorial Hospital generation power is off and will now have to refer hospital services to other clinics in Grand Bahama, Minister of Health Dr. Duane Sands said. 

During a press conference on Friday at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Sands said Abaco and Grand Bahama are facing significant infrastructure and physical damages.

He described the level of damage and contamination as “tremendous”.

International organizations are working with the ministry to restore the hospital. They intend to move services to Pearce Plaza Facility, Hawksbill Creek Clinic, The Ockyanos Facility and Sunrise Medical Center. 

A number of problems with health facilities on both islands were listed. 

Cooper’s Town Clinic had suffered so much damage it is “rendered inoperable,” according to Dr. Sands, and had the ability to “provide only basic healthcare services in the north”.

People who ran to clinics for shelters are using the nurses’ and doctors’ quarters. 

Dr. Sands said there are services at Sandy Point, Cooper’s Town, and Marsh Harbour, but there are gaps in services in the cays.

Dr. Sands does not know how many people are on the cays and a non-governmental organization is providing service on Treasure Cay. 

He added that the process of identifying the dead would probably take weeks or even months.

“That approach now requires that there are photographic documentation by a specially trained Royal Bahamas Police Force officer attached to a tag or inseparable form of identification means and a number, once the remains are placed in a body bag and then placed in a cooler,” he explained. 

The ministry and the Royal Bahamas Police Force will compare figures for the death toll and will conduct daily briefs that will be delivered by the prime minister. 

Dr. Sands made it clear that the government has “no interest in suppressing information”. 

“What we want to do is to make sure the information that is given is accurate. We expect the death toll to rise as I’ve said significantly and I’m sure that you reporters have seen uncollected bodies on the ground. I am sure that many persons who know individuals, who have personally lost loved ones,”Dr. Sands said.