KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Minister, I was going to ask you about that. The status of the hospitals, troubling reports that, like in Grand Bahama, they can't perform surgery. They're not even equipped for that yet. The rooms that aren't flooding, the ones that are available that aren't flooded, they are completely full. What is the status of the hospital situation?</s>DUANE SANDS, MINISTER OF HEALTH, THE BAHAMAS (via telephone): Well, we have recognized, underwater, the operating room, the intensive care center, et cetera, even though we've managed to clean it out, it is not safe nor sanitary for use. We have the wonderful fortune of having international NGOs from the United States, in particular, but from other countries, as well. The Dutch have created field hospitals and the Samaritans Purse Field Hospital, which will have the capacity to provide in-patient beds, ICU services. Operating room services will be open today. There are other private facilities that are providing services and we are delivering babies and doing basic surgery. And we expect that within another 24 hours, we will have replaced the in-patient or acute care capacity and the outpatient capacity across the entire island of Grand Bahama. When we look at Abaco, we are probably about 70 percent there. There are many of the keys and some of the northern outposts that deserve additional attention. But for the most part, I have been very pleased with the return to normalcy at least in the provision of health services.</s>BOLDUAN: Well, that is -- that is --</s>SANDS: One challenge that we haven't addressed is the increased demand on the providence.</s>BOLDUAN: Well, that is some good news to hear, though, that the hospital capacity is getting back up. And as you very well know, as a doctor yourself, that is one of the key things in the aftermath of one of these things. Minister, thank you so much for coming on. We'll check back in. I really appreciate you jumping on.</s>SANDS: Thank you. And have a great day. Bye-bye.</s>BOLDUAN: Thank you. We'll be right back.
Bahamas Minister of Health Duane Sands Discusses Hurricane Death Toll, CBP Stopping Evacuees from Boarding Ferry to U.S., and Bahaman Government Response