Video: Field hospitals for Covid-19 patients to open in Abu Dhabi, Dubai

Three field hospitals are set to open in the UAE to accommodate Covid-19 patients, it was announced on Tuesday.

The hospitals – including two in Abu Dhabi and one in Dubai – have been developed by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the UAE’s largest healthcare network.

One of them is being set up in Emirates Humanitarian City, located in Mohammed bin Zayed city in Abu Dhabi. The construction of the field hospital, spanning over 29,000 square metres, will be finalised by the first week of May and it will be managed by a medical team of 200 healthcare professionals, with a capacity to serve 1,200 patients, official news agency WAM reported.

Under the directives of Mohamed bin Zayed, Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed inspected 2 field hospitals out of 3 constructed by @SEHAHealth in Abu Dhabi & Dubai. The new facilities will support the health sector with more integrated medical services & help curb the spread of COVID-19 pic.twitter.com/3ANYNx8msa

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@admediaoffice) April 21, 2020

Another hospital will be opened at the Abu Dhabi Exhibition Center. Spread across 31,000 sqm, it has capacity to cater to 1,000 patients and is staffed by a medical team of 150 healthcare professionals.

Built in partnership with Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC), the hospital includes quarantine patient rooms as well as recreational facilities which will enable patients to look after their health and fitness needs. It will also have free internet services along with a personal iPad for each patient and shared TVs. ADNEC will also organise activities for patients during their stay, the report stated.

The third field hospital, spanning 29,000 sqm, is set to open in Dubai Parks and Resorts. Expected to be ready by the end of April, it will be operated by a medical team of 200 healthcare professionals with the capacity for 1,200 patients.

On Tuesday, Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, visited the two field hospitals in Abu Dhabi to inspect the facilities’ readiness.

خالد بن محمد بن زايد أثناء تفقد مستشفيين ميدانيين من أصل 3 مستشفيات ميدانية عملت شركة "صحة" على إنشائها وتجهيزها في أبوظبي ودبي، لدعم القطاع الصحي بالمزيد من المرافق الطبية المتكاملة، المجهزة لتوفير أفضل خدمات الرعاية والعلاج. pic.twitter.com/VXgTXhM4RW

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@admediaoffice) April 21, 2020

Salem Al Noaimi, chairman of SEHA, said: “As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to evolve both globally and here in the Emirates, it is imperative that we have a high level of preparedness.

“It is important to emphasise that the establishment of the new field hospitals is not a response to existing demand, but instead is a precautionary measure to ensure that we have the capabilities to care for each and every patient in the event we are faced with an influx of positive coronavirus cases.”

SEHA has also designated Al Rahba and Al Ain Hospitals as facilities to exclusively treat and quarantine coronavirus patients.

On Tuesday, the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention in the UAE announced the detection of 490 new Covid-19 cases in the country.

The total number of cases in the country now tallies 7,755, with the death toll at 46 and the recoveries at 1,443.

The country has intensified testing as part of measures to curtail the spread of the virus.

Read: GCC Covid-19 update: UAE reports 490 new cases, 3 deaths; Saudi registers 1,147 cases