A total of 14 places including military hospitals have been prepared to keep COVID-19 patients, said Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun, leader of the information team for State Administration Council (SAC) in a press conference held at Nay Pyi Taw on July 12.
“We admitted that hospitals, clinics and quarantine centers are full of COVID-19 patients and some of them cannot accept patients. The Tatmadaw is preparing to help and arranging military hospitals and clinics to keep COVID-19 patients,” he said.
The places where COVID-19 patients kept are Health & Disease Control Unit in Nay Pyi Taw, military hospital of Eastern Command in Aungban, two military hospitals in Mingaladon in Yangon Region, transit center in Hlaing, Defence Services Nursing and Paramedical Academy in Hmawby, No.6 Field Medical Battalion, Defence Services Hospital in Inndine, No.1 Special Forces Training School in Ye Mon and Siri Mingalar Sasana Beikman in Insein Township.
Moreover No.8 Military Battalion of Western Command in Sittwe and a military hospital, No.1 500-Bed Military Hospital in Central Command and Central Military Equipment Store Depot in Mandalay have been arranged to keep the patients, he said.
“We are preparing to keep the patients in military hospitals and battalions. We have prepared 931 places in the military bases for the patients. They can house 22,699 patients and we are now giving treatment to 2,860 patients,” he said.
“They will be finished within days. If we can put it in its place, we will be able to control it. It will provide a help to the area so we have prepared for it. Now they are not finalized and we are arranging as fast as we can,” he said.
Ministry of Health and Sports (MOHS) is arranged 250-Bed COVID-19 Treatment Center (Mindama), 500-Bed COVID-19 Treatment Center (Mayangon), 300-Bed COVID-19 Treatment Center (Thuwunna), 540-Bed COVID-19 Treatment Center (Hlaing), 1920-Bed COVID-19 Treatment Center (Dagon Seikkan), 400-Bed COVID-19 Treatment Center (Phaunggyi) and public hospitals including Yangon General Hospital and 500-Bed Special Hospital, said Director of the MOHS.
“People need to contact to the respective township health departments. The township health departments will give advice to the patients and send them to the hospitals. We are arranging it in line with the time,” said the director.
As the number of COVID-19 patients increases, it will make a burden to the township healthcare system, regional healthcare system and referral system to the hospitals, he said.
The main ones are the township health system, the elders in the township and social welfare associations. These are things we need to work on together. If we work together, there will be a township health director who can be responsible and social welfare associations and volunteers to deal with the situation. There will be an organization that includes these. After such negotiations, it will be a lot. The key is to be able to handle these requests from these contacts to the demand. So we need more people and cooperation. Therefore, if we have the strength to cooperate with each township, the township health department will also be stronger. We can also reduce the burden on the system,” he said.
