COVID-19 treatment center (Phaunggyi) is ready to accept over 700 COVID-19 patients if South Oakkalapa Maternal and Child hospital is full of COVID-19 patients, said Naing Ngan Lin, Yangon Region Minister for Social Affairs in a press conference held at Central Institute of Civil Services (Phaunggyi).

“The COVID-19 patients are kept in Waibargi hospital at the first stage and now they are kept at South Oakkalapa Maternal and Child hospital as a second stage. We prepared the COVID-19 treatment center (Phaunggyi) as we assumed there may be more COVID-19 patients. If the confirmed patients are full at South Oakkalapa Maternal and Child hospital, they will be kept in Phaunggyi,” said the minister.

The regional government is implemented to transform the Central Institute of Civil Services (Phaunggyi) as a COVID-19 treatment center as the separate treatment centers in foreign countries have reduced the death rates and have succeeded in curing the patients. Besides it can give security in people mind, he said.

“Medical staffs can concentrate their work more. Another thing is they can work here with lesser errors,” he said.

Ministry of Health and Sports (MOHS), Union Civil Service Board, Red Cross Society, Construction Entrepreneurs Association, Private Hospitals Association, Pharmaceutical & Medical Equipment Entrepreneurs' Association, social welfare associations and volunteers helped the regional government in addition to the Tatmadaw to transform the Phaunggyi treatment center, he added.

The preparation work is made under the instruction of World Health Organization (WHO). Ten beds each are kept in four buildings in the treatment center and at the present, two buildings are ready to kept ICU patients.

“We will keep ICU ward and general ward at the center. The ICU ward can keep 240 people to provide oxygen. Two out of four treatment buildings in general ward are finished and the rest are 60 per cent finished. It can provide space for 480 patients. We also prepared for doctors, nurses and skilled staffs to live in. A total of 208 staffs can live now,” he said.

A warehouse to store medicines and medical equipment are prepared and incinerator is built. If needed, the government will implement to keep up to 2,000 patients at the treatment center.

A total of 80 doctors and 102 staffs from health assistance groups are assigned at the treatment center, said the rector of Central Institute of Civil Service (Lower Myanmar).

“A total of 80 doctors from the MOHS, the army medical corps and private hospitals are already arrived. 102 staffs from health assistance groups are also arrived. They wore uniforms to make preparations daily before the patients are arrived,” said the rector.