YANGON—Medical teams from the Ministry of Health and Sports (MOHS) and the military arrived at a new makeshift COVID-19 medical center on the outskirts of Yangon on Sunday to staff the facility.
The medical teams comprised 72 health care professionals from the MOHS and 40 military medics. Another 68 health workers from the SSC-Shwe Gon Daing and Pinlon private hospitals were also dispatched on Monday to staff the center.
The Yangon regional government has converted hostels at the Central Institute of Civil Service (Phaunggyi) in Hlegu Township for medical use.
With an initial capacity for 200 patients, the new Phaunggyi COVID-19 center is intended to fill in when the two hospitals currently treating COVID-19 patients in Yangon reach their capacities.
Dr. Ko Ko Naing, the medical superintendent of the facility, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the center is now preparing for operations, as the country is seeing a surge in the number of confirmed cases. The center is also setting up a number of intensive care units to serve patients.
COVID-19 patients in Yangon are currently being treated at the Waibargi Infectious Disease Hospital and South Okkalapa Hospital. A total of 91 patients (74 in Waibargi and 17 in South Okkalapa) are now receiving treatment at the two hospitals.
Waibargi can accept a maximum of 90 patients. According to a local media reports, South Okkalapa Hospital can accept a maximum of 70 patients.
On April 3, the regional government requested the cooperation of the Myanmar Army Medical Corps in operating the makeshift hospital, as around 205 health workers will be needed to run it.
As of Monday, Myanmar had reported 117 confirmed COVID-19 cases with five deaths and nine recoveries in less than a month.
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