Doha: Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) increased the capacity of Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital to 267 beds to support its capabilities in providing high-quality medical care after it was recently designated as a treatment facility for people infected with coronavirus (COVID-19).
The number of beds in the hospital, which opened in 2018, has increased from 118 to 267 beds in a short period, as hospital teams have expanded the specialized facility to enhance its capabilities to treat patients with coronavirus while the medical staff received adequate training to treat these cases.
Executive Director of Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital Hussein Al Ishaq said that designating the hospital as a treatment facility for those infected with coronavirus has lead to increasing its capacity.
He explained that the number of beds was initially increased from 118 to 147 beds within a week from registering the first COVID-19 cases in the country, then the hospital capacity was increased to 267 beds. He pointed out that the designation of Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital as a hospital for COVID-19 enables HMC to provide high-quality care to the majority of patients infected with the virus in one facility. He further explained that in case of necessity, HMC can increase the number of beds in the hospital up to 560 beds. He added that the 31-bed emergency department has been moved to a tent equipped with double capacity of 65 beds a week ago.
A field hospital is being constructed, which will provide 274 additional beds for the hospital to increase its capacity further, he said.
The capacity in intensive care has also been increased from 16 beds to 50 beds (for males and females), he pointed out.
Al Ishaq confirmed that the concerned teams have worked hard over the past few weeks to ensure that all necessary changes are made to enable the hospital to play this vital role in treating COVID-19 patients of all nationalities in Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital.
He stated that this new hospital role is a pivotal component of the HMC's comprehensive strategy to ensure the ability to manage any future increase in the number of COVID-19 patients who need medical care.
The hospital's expansion focuses in particular on increasing the number of intensive care unit beds to ensure the availability of capacity and provide medical care to patients suffering from severe symptoms (male and female).
Acting Medical Director for HMGH Dr. Ahmed Ali Al Mohammed said that during the early stages of the transformation of the Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital into a dedicated facility for COVID-19 treatment, the number of beds in the intensive care unit has been increased to 50 beds, and if necessary in the future, this number can be rapidly increased to 221 beds for intensive care.
He explained that this is essential from the hospitals ability to treat COVID-19 patients who suffer from severe symptoms, as Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital's intensive care units have the equipment to treat and monitor patients and more staff compared to other hospital units, which allows providing individual care directly if it is necessary.
All outpatient services at Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital were temporarily suspended until further notice, while the hospital's emergency department is operating, as usual, to receive and treat life-threatening medical emergencies.