East New Mexico News

City of Roswell issued the following announcement on April 21.

In response to rumors that state authorities are possibly planning to transfer COVID-19 patients from other parts of the state to the New Mexico Department of Health’s Rehabilitation Center in south Roswell, Mayor Dennis Kintigh shares the following information with the community:

“First let me say I have regular contact with the leaders of our local hospitals. I am very impressed with their professionalism. 

This issue of COVID-19 patients being brought to the state rehab hospital came up early Saturday morning (April 18). I had a phone conversation that morning with the rehab hospital director. He confirmed what I had understood to be the plan. The rehab hospital was being ‘repurposed’ to serve as a POTENTIAL backup for hospitals in our area, not as a backup for other parts of the state. 

At this time, Eastern New Mexico Medical Center (ENMMC) has been fully capable of handling the very few local cases that have required hospitalization. I have seen the areas set aside in ENMMC and I know they are very well prepared. 

I was assured by the local rehab hospital director there were no patients from elsewhere coming to Roswell. I asked the state Department of Health (DOH) to issue an official statement to clarify this, but sadly that has not happened yet. Since the DOH has not yet addressed this matter, I wanted to respond to our citizens’ concerns by sharing what I know.”

Original source can be found here.