The Ministry of Public Health has assured the public that the level of care at the recently opened Bussarakham field hospital is adequate, stating that it is expected to operate for two months until the patient number decreases.
The Bussarakham large-scale field hospital was recently opened to house COVID-19 patients with moderate symptoms.
The Ministry of Public Health’s Deputy Permanent Secretary, Dr. Thongchai Keratihuttayakorn, said that the hospital’s level of patient care was on par with general hospitals, adding that it has an installed oxygen supply system and pressure units available for severe cases.
It also features royally bestowed mobile x-ray units.
The field hospital, converted from an exhibition hall for 13 million baht, has 1,092 beds and is located at the IMPACT exhibition center in Nonthaburi, near Bangkok. However, health officials have said that the hospital’s capacity can be expanded to 5,000 beds if more patients need to be accommodated.
Bussarakham hospital’s director, Dr. Kittisak Agsornwon, said yesterday that they had applied preventive measures at the facility even before it opens.
Dr. Kittisak highlighted their efforts to ensure the safety of both all on-site staff members and the surrounding communities. Also, an air filtration system was installed at the facility to prevent transmissions.
Besides, wastewater and garbage from the hospital will be handled as infectious waste.
Currently, the Bussarakham field hospital accepts patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in code yellow, meaning those with mild to moderate symptoms. But all patients whose condition worsens while getting treatment there will be referred to a general hospital better equipped to treat critically ill patients.
To date, 267 people have been admitted to Bussarakham hospital, and 61 show moderate symptoms. Some patients have required supplemental oxygen, while others have been transferred to another hospital after developing a severe condition.
Health authorities have been setting up field hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients amid the rising wave of cases.
Deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said Wednesday that hospitals and field hospitals were ready to receive the wave of new COVID-19 patients from construction worker camps in the Laksi and Watthana areas of Bangkok.
She stated that infected patients classified as “yellow” would be sent to reception centers at the Nimitbutr indoor sports stadium in Bangkok.
The Princess Mother National Institute of Drug Abuse in Pathum Thani and the newly built Bussarakham Field Hospital at Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi would also admit patients in the “yellow” category, she added.
