The tents outside Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital will now be used as reserved space for COVID-19 patients, says Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr James Fong.
He highlighted this during a news conference at the Vodafone Arena and said the tents outside CWM Hospital represent things that the ministry had done in the past, every time there was a cyclone or hurricane, tents were set up.
“The conditions are only suboptimal, but they are the best places for us to ensure that you actually are in a place to receive the care that you need,” he said.
“That is the point of the tents; the main thing is to receive the care that you need.
You might not get all the comforts in the world, but here is what we should focus on.
“There are a number of complaints about lack of food coming there.
“Yes, we will have problems, providing food because we have to escalate the number of cooks, we have to escalate the output, but you have access to oxygen, you have access to medicine, you have access to life. And that is the important thing.
“At the moment, right now we have now created a large amount of bed space at CWM hospital. So the tents outside will now become emptier, and they will become our reserved space for COVID positive people.”
Dr Fong has also reiterated the need for families to look out for the old aged people in their homes.
He said they might not have symptoms of COVID-19 but they might be experiencing body pains, they’re bit lethargic and they also may have a fever.
Dr Fong said they must be referred to a health facility immediately if they’re feeling unwell.
