‘It looked like the apocalypse': Central Florida doctors provide care in Bahamas

SANFORD, Fla. — A team of doctors from AdventHealth are in the Bahamas to provide desperately needed medical care to areas of the islands decimated by Hurricane Dorian.

The physicians flew out of Sanford Tuesday to help rebuild and assist the island's hospitals, focusing on Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport.

The doctors were joined by an architect and a construction project manager to help figure out how to get the hospital up and running most efficiently.

READ: Want to help? 9 things to know about aiding Dorian victims in Bahamas

Dr. Alric Simmonds, vice president and chief medical officer of AdventHealth East Orlando, is making his second trip back to the islands to help with relief since Hurricane Dorian.

“If we can let them feel that we love them, then I think we've done a lot of good,” he said.

Physician assistant Brittany Blackburn, who specializes in primary care, flew to the Bahamas with Trend Airways over the weekend. She described it as an overwhelming and eye-opening experience.

“It looked like the apocalypse. Everything is destroyed. Everyone lost everything," she said.

READ: Brevard nonprofit flies lifesaving water purifiers to Dorian-ravaged areas of the Bahamas

She said her team rode to the nearest health center where they set up a makeshift clinic providing wound care and general treatment. She said some patients she saw said their medicines were all washed away in the storm.

A plane has taken 14,000 lbs of supplies to the Bahamas.

Florida House Rep. Scott Plakon said he's hopeful the deliveries will make it a bit more bearable.

"There's nothing. There're no businesses. There're no restaurants. There's no hardware stores. No building supplies. There's nothing. It's a wasteland," Plakon said.

The goal is to have three large aircrafts drop 42,000 lbs of supplies to the island by Wednesday.

RIGHT NOW: Air Unlimited teams are loading medical supplies to send to the Bahamas 🇧🇸 —-> @AdventHealth doctors will be flying out this morning to help in relief efforts #HurricaneDorian @WFTV pic.twitter.com/jEHugDiipy
— Sarahbeth Ackerman (@SAckermanWFTV) September 10, 2019

Medical supplies on its way to the #Bahamas —> @AdventHealth doctors will be setting up camp for until Thursday. @WFTV pic.twitter.com/aRKmmb9396
— Sarahbeth Ackerman (@SAckermanWFTV) September 10, 2019