Temporary hospitals in full gear as more medical teams arrive in virus-hit Wuhan

Xinhua

Public facilities that have been converted into makeshift hospitals are in full gear as more medical teams arrive in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in central China's Hubei Province.

New medical equipment and supplies have arrived in Wuhan with the new medical teams, including the national medical team of the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University.

Wuhan authorities have transformed public venues such as exhibition centers and gymnasiums into temporary hospitals since February 3. The hospitals have a large capacity of treating patients with mild symptoms and play an important role in isolating the source of infection and cutting off the routes of infection during epidemic prevention, according to Wang Chen, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

Wuhan designated infected patients with mild symptoms in the hospitals, where they are receiving antiviral treatment.

Many patients said the conditions have greatly improved from when they initially arrived, and they hope to have a speedy recovery.

In the Wuchang Hongshan Stadium, for example, authorities provide free packed meals with desserts, fruits and eggs.

"The conditions here are fine," said one of the patients. District officials offer more than 700 breakfast meals for patients and medical staff in the district of Wuchang, under the city of Wuhan.

Outside the hospitals, medical staff have put up tents to store equipment and medicine. They go back and forth between the tents and hospitals to provide professional medical services for the patients. Authorities also supervise the staff to make sure they are properly protected from infection.