A medical worker disinfects an ambulance transporting Covid-19 patients. HCMC will build a new field hospital with 1,000 beds at the Phu Tho Stadium in District 11 - PHOTO: VNA

HCMC - HCMC will build a new field hospital with 1,000 beds at Phu Tho Stadium in District 11 if the number of Covid-19 infections reaches over 1,000.

The municipal Department of Health said on June 1 that it was cooperating with several professional units to design the field hospital at the stadium at 221 Ly Thuong Kiet in Ward 9.

The city is struggling with the fast spike of Covid-19 cases, mainly linked to the Revival Ekklesia Mission infection cluster in Go Vap District, the local media reported.

The hospital will get off the ground as soon as the number of cases in HCMC exceeds 1,000, according to the municipal department.

Health workers, beds and medical equipment will be mobilized and prepared for setting up the field hospital.

Earlier, the municipal department had issued a Covid-19 response plan for treatment, with three scenarios--fewer than 100 cases, 100-1,000 cases and 1,000-5,000 cases.

The establishment of the field hospital is part of the city’s preparation for the worst-case scenario.

The Health Department will also plan to build other field hospitals at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center in District 7 and culture and sports centers of the city’s districts, with a total capacity of up to 5,000 beds and 1,000 ventilators.

The city has five hospitals for Covid-19 treatment, comprising Cho Ray, Cu Chi Field Hospital, HCMC Children’s Hospital, the Hospital for Tropical Diseases and Can Gio Covid-19 Treatment Hospital, with a total of over 970 beds and 42 ventilators.

As of this morning, HCMC had reported 227 locally-infected cases during the latest coronavirus wave, with most of them linked to the Revival Ekklesia Mission cluster.