The government of China is building a new 1,000-bed hospital in only six days to fight the recent coronavirus in Wuhan to treat and take control suspected patients as fast as possible.

The new 25,000-square-metre hospital, named Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital, is built in the Caidian District in the west of the city of Wuhan to treat patients suspected of contracting the coronavirus.

Image courtesy of Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu

Wuhan's coronavirus has detected in Wuhan City in December 2019 and according to the recent report of BBC (sourced by National Health Commission, as of end of 26 January, plus state media), it has killed 81 people and 461 people in critical condition in China. In addition, 2,827 cases have been confirmed and 5,794 suspected cases have been detected in China. 

According to the World Health Organization and national authorities, the virus has also spread out other countries, including Thailand, USA, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, South Korea, France, Japan, Vietnam, Nepal, Canada, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Germany. 

Image courtesy of /Xinhua Photo, CGTN

Aerial photo has been taken on January 24, 2020 from the construction site and shows mechanical equipment working at the construction site of a special hospital in the Caidian District of western suburb of Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. 

According to local authorities reported by BBC on January 25, the new hospital is being built from prefabricated buildings and the authorities expect to complete the hospital within six days. 

They constructed a similar hospital to fight the Sars virus in 2003 and they constructed the building in only seven days, in the new hospital, the construction team is trying to beat that record. 

A new Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital is expected to open on February 3

In the photographs released to media, it seems that over 60 diggers are working on the construction and CGTN is also giving a live broadcast to see how the hospital is built from day to day.

Against the further spread of the virus, the Chinese government has also taken several precautions to reduce mobility between people. For instance, in Shanghai, the government has stopped businesses from returning to work until 10 February. The government warned that people shouldn't use planes, trains and other public transportations unless they have to.

"China has a record of getting things done fast even for monumental projects like this," Huang Yanzhong, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, told the BBC. 

"This authoritarian country relies on this top down mobilisation approach. They can overcome bureaucratic nature and financial constraints and are able to mobilise all of the resources."

"The engineering work is what China is good at. They have records of building skyscrapers at speed. This is very hard for westerners to imagine. It can be done," he added.

According to China Daily, the Wuhan city is building another second hospital in Wuhan to receive patients to ease the shortage of beds in the city. Named Leishenshan Hospital, will be a 1,300-bed hospital to treat patients infected with the new virus. The construction of the new hospital is expected to be completed in 15 days.

Top image courtesy of Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu

> via CGTN & BBC