Bangkok opens first field ICU for severe Covid-19 patients
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will open the first field ICU facility, called Erawan 3 Hospital, on Tuesday.
“The Chaloem Phra Kiat Stadium in Thung Khru district has been converted into a field hospital and it will be able to accommodate up to 432 patients,” Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang posted on his Facebook page.
“Charoenkrung Pracharak Hospital will be providing medical professionals and equipment that can take care of Covid-19 patients with severe symptoms, including lung x-ray machines, oximeters and comprehensive telemedicine network to ensure that the patients are monitored by doctors at all times.”
The governor added that since the new wave had been reported in late March, Bangkok had seen increasing numbers of patients with moderate to severe symptoms at about 14 per cent of all confirmed patients.
“The province has been working hard to establish field hospitals capable of treating patients with severe symptoms,” he said.
“We aim to set up more field ICUs to support up to 200 per cent of current severe patients to make sure that intensive treatment will be available if the infections rise.”
On Monday Bangkok and its surrounding areas reported 1,164 new Covid-19 cases, driving up the cumulative cases in the metropolitan since April 1 to 19, to 220 patients, nearly half of the overall cumulative infections throughout the country of 41,933 patients.