Peng Zhiyong (L), head of the department of critical care medicine of Zhongnan Hospital, and Huang Shuli, who is on the mend, bid Chinese Lunar New Year greetings to each other in the ICU (intensive care unit) of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Jan. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Xiong Qi)
"With over 10,000 beds, we will have the capacity to admit all confirmed and suspected cases as well as other fever patients," said an official with the National Health Commission.
BEIJING, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Wuhan, at the center of a viral pneumonia outbreak, will soon have 10,000 hospital beds reserved for infected patients as Chinese authorities take all means necessary to boost the city's overwhelmed health system.
Jiao Yahui, an official with the National Health Commission, told a press conference held in Beijing on Tuesday that authorities have been designating over 5,300 beds in various hospitals in Wuhan to be used for novel coronavirus patients.
The construction site of Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Jan. 26, 2020. Leishenshan Hospital is the second makeshift hospital being built in Wuhan, the center of a coronavirus outbreak in central China. With a capacity of 1,300 to 1,500 beds, Leishenshan hospital will be put into use on Feb. 5. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)
And about 6,000 more will be added in the next phase.
In addition, Wuhan is building two makeshift hospitals dedicated to fighting the novel coronavirus outbreak, with a combined capacity of 2,000 to 2,300 beds.
The construction of the two facilities is expected to be completed on Feb. 2 and Feb. 5, respectively.
"With over 10,000 beds, we will have the capacity to admit all confirmed and suspected cases as well as other fever patients," said Jiao.
Mechanical equipment working at the construction site of Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Jan. 24, 2020. The upcoming hospital designed to have an area of 25,000 square meters will be put into use by Feb. 3. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)
Chinese health authorities announced Tuesday that 4,515 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus had been reported in 30 provincial-level regions by the end of Monday. A total of 106 people have died of the disease.
The epidemic is taking a particularly heavy toll on Hubei Province, of which the capital city is Wuhan.
By the end of Monday, a total of 2,714 confirmed cases had been reported in Hubei and 2,567 patients have been hospitalized, the Hubei Provincial Health Commission said Tuesday. Hospitals across the province received 31,934 fever patients Monday. ■
