Hawaii medical center winding down ops after deal falls through

Hawaii Medical Center in Honolulu and Ewa has begun winding down its operations after a potential deal to buy the hospitals fell through, according to a spokesperson with the St. Francis Healthcare System. About 990 people are employees at the hospitals. "I'm starting to cry now. I just recently graduated and I'm a little sad because I like this location,"said HMC's West X-ray technician Raquel Ongos. There is no timetable for the closure of the hospitals but it is expected to close within the next four weeks. "This is the only hospital thats on the westside. What's going to happen to all the folks down in Waianae, they can't drive to Pali Momi, that's kind of ridiculous. What about the ambulances?," said Ewa resident Bambi Bjugstad.