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