If the case should arise that there are insufficient hospital beds in Brno, a backup hospital will be built at the Brno Exhibition Centre to host up to 302 beds. Photo credit: Bvv.cz.
Brno, Oct 16 (BD) – The City of Brno has discussed a plan to prepare a backup hospital in case the number of hospital beds in Brno is insufficient. Currently, the plan is on hold and will only be implemented if necessary.
Brno City Council had planned to provide a backup hospital in the spring during the first influx of coronavirus patients. The plan is a potential solution to cope with the growing number of cases placing pressure on Czech facilities and staff this autumn. However, it has not been decided.
The Mayor of Brno, Markéta Vaňková, confirmed with the regional coordinator of intensive and non-intensive care during a meeting on Thursday, October 14th, that a temporary hospital will not be built yet.
“We agreed that we will receive information about the current condition of beds in Brno once a week. Should the situation change, we will immediately take steps to build the new hospital in a matter of days. It is expected that it would be used for patients with a mild course of covid-19 disease who do not need lung ventilation or care in intensive care units,” Vaňková.
The project already has basic equipment provided and approval from the Regional Hygiene Office in the spring. If the backup hospital should be built in the Brno Exhibition Centre, it will have a capacity of up to 302 beds. A potential challenge which the backup hospital might face is finding staff to support the patients.
“The construction of the hospital itself would not be a problem for us. The crucial question is who would take care of the patients in it. In this matter, I will turn to the Army of the Czech Republic with a request for cooperation and possible provision of medical and nursing staff,” explained Vaňková.
