'Cabin Hospital' Model Receives Praise in Virus Containment

Beds are being placed at Wuhan International Convention and Exhibition Center. The center, along with Wuhan Parlor and Hongshan Stadium, are being transformed into cabin hospitals for people who test positive for the virus but show no severe symptoms. ZHAN SONG/CHANGJIANG DAILY

Establishing mobile cabin hospitals in Wuhan, Hubei province, is an effective way to increase admission capacity of patients infected with novel coronavirus, an official with the National Health Commission said on Friday.

Guo Yanhong, an official with the commission's Medical Administration Bureau, told a news conference these hospitals only admit patients suffering mild symptoms of the novel coronavirus, and they have set up special infection control teams to rule out patients with other respiratory diseases such as influenza during diagnosis to prevent cross-infection.

The medical staff also includes psychologists and psychiatrists to provide psychological support and counseling for patients, she added.

Wuhan has built 11 mobile cabin hospitals since Monday, which can offer thousands of beds to treat patients, according to the local newspaper.

Guo said Wuhan faces an acute conflict between an increasing number of patients and limited medical resources. Makeshift hospitals can help maximize admission capacity and avoid further spread of the epidemic.

She said the commission has deployed more than 2,000 nurses locally and nationwide to treat patients, and mobilized PCR laboratories so patients can be tested and admitted quickly.

"The mobile cabin hospital is an effective method to alleviate the shortage of medical resources. As much as we hope similar situations will not occur in other cities, such a hospital is a good and fast way to reduce infection rate and maximize patients' admission," she added.

Wang Guiqiang, director of the Society of Infectious Diseases at the Chinese Medical Association, said these hospitals are an important means to ensure patients are fully isolated, to avoid infection and examine potential worsening symptoms.

"Patients with mild symptoms do not have pneumonia, but show other respiratory symptoms or fever. Such patients can be quarantined and treated under the conditions of mobile cabin hospitals," he said.

People with influenza, senior patients or those who have chronic diseases will not be admitted, and will be placed in designated medical institutions to ensure that they are effectively treated, he added.