Qatar's focus on ensuring adequate healthcare facilities amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation has been phenomenal.

Under a proactive approach, that reflects the prowess of the health system, the country has been converting some existing medical facilities into dedicated centers to test, observe, treat, and manage suspected patients of COVID-19. In addition to this, it has also opened new hospitals to meet the challenge.

As it continues to fight the pandemic, Qatar has set up a new field hospital in the Industrial Area, with a 200-bed capacity.

Designed specifically to meet the healthcare needs of the residents of the neighborhood, the hospital will provide emergency, outpatient, and COVID-19 care services.

The facility can attend to 2000 to 3000 patients a day. It has at least 200 healthcare staff including doctors, nurses, and paramedics.

A tour at the field hospital in the industrial area before its opening tomorrow. The hospital will start receiving patients in its emergency department, outpatient department and short-stay unit with a dedicated section for testing suspected COVID-19 cases #YourSafetyIsMySafety pic.twitter.com/yCYWmB9v4d

— مؤسسة حمد الطبية (@HMC_Qatar) May 11, 2020

The main idea behind the new field hospital is to ease the pressure on the health system and support the country's ongoing efforts to manage the crisis.

“The capacity and access to care has changed with the COVID-19 situation and this area is under lockdown. So we have to provide with alternative access to healthcare," said Dr Khalid Abdulnoor Saifeldeen, lead for the healthcare sector in the lockdown area.

“This facility offers huge benefits to the population here. We don’t see patients from outside. We give something that the people in this area deserve," he highlighted.

Dr Saifeldeen mentioned that the facility offers medication refill system, outpatient clinic, emergency, and observation, among other essential services.

"We don’t provide critical care service or major trauma care. But such patients are very less in number and can go to other hospitals," he added. Even very sick COVID-19 patients can go to hospitals dedicated for this purpose he said.

Emergency Medicine Consultant at the newly-opened hospital, Dr Rahma Salim pointed out, “The hospital has an emergency department, COVID-19 track to asses and do swabbing test for suspected people and a COVID-19 holding facility. It is mainly for male workers in the area, but any emergency cases of women and children will be attended to."

As health authorities in Qatar continue to implement the highest level of monitoring, detection, and management procedures to deal with the virus, the public has been advised to follow certain measures to safeguard their health.

For any queries, or concerns related to COVID-19 in Qatar, the public can contact a 24/7 hotline set up by the Ministry. The hotline number is 16000 and is toll-free.

Here's everything you need to know about the virus, including ways to protect yourself.

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Source and Cover Image Credit: Gulf Times