Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s Bangkok hasopened two new field hospitals with a total of 500 beds for COVID-19 patientswith mild symptoms in the context of rising infection number.
According to Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, BangkokMetropolitan Administration (BMA)’s affiliated hospitals have about 760 bedsallocated for moderate-to-severe COVID-19 cases. As of July 20, about 47% oftheir beds were occupied, including 17 severe cases.
When every hospital in Bangkok has been counted, thecapacity to handle COVID-19 patients is 5,600 beds. At present, about 3,000beds or 47% are occupied.
To prepare for the surge, BMA has converted facilities atthe Bangkok Arena in Nong Chok district and Chaloem Phrakiat Sport TrainingCentre in Thung Kru district into field hospitals. Altogether, the newfacilities can accommodate about 500 patients with mild symptoms.
Chadchart said the BMA would coordinate with other partiesto add more beds if required.
He said that in three Bangkok hospitals run by theDepartment of Medical Services - Lerdsin, Rajavithi and NopparatRajathanee, the combined daily case is about 1,500.
The department has suggested all Bangkok hospitals resumetheir acute respiratory infection clinics due to the rise in COVID-19 infections,he said.
On July 21, Thailand reported 2,607 hospitalised COVID-19cases and 23 deaths over the past 24 hours. Since COVID-19 broke out in Thailand in early 2020, the country hasreported over 4.56 million infections, including 31,073 deaths./.
