Health ministry to keep empty buildings ready for coronavirus suspects

Health ministry to keep empty buildings ready for coronavirus suspects
Published 5 February 2020

 

Union Minister for Health and Sports has asked officials concerned to prepare separate rooms in empty health department buildings for patients under coronavirus investigation and suspected patients. 

The minister gave the order during the central level coordination meeting (8/2020) held in Nay Pyi Taw on February 4. 

Ministry staff members and experts are taking novel coronavirus monitoring and control measures as the first priority. The World Health Organization has urged member countries to fight rumours and fake news about the outbreak. The Ministry of Health and Sports is releasing news and information through social networks, said the minister. 

He told the officials to announce the phone numbers of regional health departments and send them to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism so they can inform any suspected cases. 

During the meeting, the minister also gave instructions on more supply of medicines and medical equipment, preparing isolation rooms at region and state hospitals and keeping separate rooms in empty buildings owned by the ministry. 

Currently, isolation rooms are kept ready at Waibargi Special Hospital in Yangon and 1,000-bed hospitals in Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw to receive any coronavirus suspected and confirmed patients.