China
2020.03.14 10:42 GMT+8

Countries take China's lead in building temporary hospitals to fight COVID-19

Updated 2020.03.14 11:37 GMT+8
CGTN

This is the last night shift for doctor Jiang Wenyang at Wuchang Temporary Hospital, which offers timely treatment for COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms.

Lying down on an empty bed, with protective suits and goggles, the doctor who was deployed from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, felt a sense of relief. 

Doctor Jiang had a rest in the Wuchang Temporary Hospital. /China Media Group

The next day, Jiang and his colleagues attended a short ceremony to celebrate the shutdown of Wuchang Temporary hospital as the last 49 COVID-19 patients were discharged.

As they left, the stadium-transformed temporary hospital also ended its mission. The closure of Wuchang Temporary Hospital is the last of 14 temporary hospitals to be closed in Wuhan.

"You don't fly but you are my superhero," commented Chinese netizens on the photo. 

Wuchang Temporary Hospital. /China Media Group

As Wuhan closes its temporary hospitals as patients with mild symptoms are discharged, the world is seeing a frightening rise in COVID-19 infections. 

Many countries have followed China's lead in building temporary hospitals to offer medical care for patients with mild symptoms and isolate these patients to prevent the spread of the virus.

Iran has confirmed over 11,000 COVID-19 infections as of Friday, according to its health ministry. To meet the large demand, many regions and local government have announced they are ready to transform exhibition halls and stadiums to temporary hospitals.

A temporary hospital in Iran. /Internet

A temporary hospital with 200 beds was built in West Azerbaijan, northwest Iran, earlier this week, according to Fars.

In Israel, the number of COVID-19 patients reached 143 by Friday night, with 2,479 medical workers put under quarantine.

In Israel, the number of COVID-19 patients reached 143 by Friday night. /China Media Group

On Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett declared the defense establishment will be building up three group recovery facilities – similar to a temporary hospital – to take in suspected patients and patients with mild symptoms.

Bennett said either hotels or empty boarding schools will be transformed and they will be able to take in 1,000 patients with a maximum capacity of 3,000 people.

Giovanni Leonardi, an officer from Italian Ministry of Health, had an interview with China Media Group. /China Media Group

Giovanni Leonardi, an officer from Italian Ministry of Health told China Media Group March 12 that they are building temporary hospitals next to Milan, offering 500 wards for severe COVID-19 patients.

The decision to make temporary hospitals in Wuhan came on February 3 as the number of wards in the city center were not enough for the rapidly increasing patients. Twenty days later, 14 buildings had been transformed into temporary hospitals and offered over 10,000 wards for COVID-19 patients.

A ceremony to celebrate the shutdown of Wuchang Temporary Hospital. /The Beijing News

"If we didn't have these 10,000 beds, these mild patients would have been wondering around the communities, infecting families and people around them," Ma Yonggang, director of Wuchang Temporary Hospital medical team, told Beijing News. "I can't imagine how it would be."

During the last 20 plus days, Wuchang Temporary hospital was the battlefield for 14 medial teams of 868 medical workers, coming from nine different provinces, municipalities and regions in China.

None of the medical workers got infected in the process, and the death toll in Wuchang Temporary Hospital was zero. As hospitals in central Wuhan released 10,000 empty beds in early March, patients in temporary hospitals have all transferred.

Medical workers in Wuchang Temporary Hospital. /The Beijing News

"Building up temporary hospital is a timely strategy, which tackles the problems of bed shortage and avoid further spread of virus in the city," Ma said.

Ma also said all temporary hospitals will be disinfected after shutdown, and holidays will be given to all medical workers on the front line.

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