Jilin speeds up hospital transformation for virus patients

The Jilin provincial hospital for infectious diseases has been transformed for the treatment of critical patients suffering from the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP), according to local reports.

The transformed hospital, covering an area measuring 24,000 square meters, has five inpatient areas for novel coronavirus pneumonia patients and 175 beds.

Among them, two areas are intensive care units with 52 beds and three areas are general ones with 123 beds.

Officials said that one ICU area and one general area will first open to patients, with 26 beds and 41 beds respectively.

The Health Commission of Jilin Province has been responsible for accelerating the transformation work, including the layout, supplies purchasing, transformation of the firefighting system, optical cable laying, medical equipment installation and debugging, transformation of sewage disposal system and more.

To ensure its operation as soon as possible, the commission issued 57 rules, to improve the medical system -- and four emergency plans.

The commission also reached agreements with the Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Jilin Province and Jilin Beiyao Group for the treatment of patients, officials said.

The hospital will undergo comprehensive tests and go into simulated trial operations soon, to make preparations to admit NCP patients, officials added.