Renovation of Beijing's Xiaotangshan Hospital underway in case of necessity: official

The renovation work of Beijing's Xiaotangshan Hospital, which was built in 2003 to treat SARS patients, has begun to provide a better medical environment to the public, the director of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, Lei Haichao, said on Thursday.

The hospital will come into use if necessary, depending on how the ongoing coronavirus outbreak develops, noted the official.

In April 2003, Beijing built the hospital in seven days to control the SARS epidemic. The facility had 1,000 beds and treated about one-seventh of China's SARS patients within two months of its completion. 

Earlier CGTN visited the hospital to check the ongoing work.