COVID-19 : MoI Opening Emergency hospitals in industrial area for workers

Apr 18, 2020

An emergency field hospital to treat COVID-19 infections will become operational in Qatar's Industrial Area in the next 10 days, a senior Ministry of Interior (MoI) official told Qatar Tribune on Saturday.


The hospital is being erected on Al Kassarat Street (Street 10), near the Labour Department Office, Lt Col Ahmed al Ghanim said during a media tour of the under-construction facility.  


Dr Khalid Abdul Noor, the Operations Head of the hospital, said the facility would have 50 beds and a capacity to carry out preliminary COVID-19 examinations on 1,000 people in the first phase. 


The number of beds would be increased to 200 in the second phase and to 350 in the third, he added.
Talking about government’s efforts to ease restrictions in Industrial Area, a senior ministry official said some currency exchange centres will soon be allowed to open in Qatar under certain regulations.


Streets 1 to 32 of Industrial Area are under a lockdown since last month after a surge in the confirmed coronavirus cases there.


Various agencies have since then sterilised more than 12 million square metres of the area as part of its plan to gradually lift the lockdown in the coming weeks.


In a massive clean up operation, more than 1,300 tonnes (around 45 tonnes per day) of debris have been removed from Industrial Area. 


The MoI official said during the lockdown the government has and continues to ensure availability of foodstuff and medical care to those staying in Industrial Area.


While movements into and outside the COVID-19 quarantine zone in the area are restricted, certain companies have been given permission to deliver essential items, he said.


“As part of increasing awareness about the ways to contain the spread of the pandemic, the ministry has distributed booklets in different Asian languages,” he added.


The Qatar Charity has already distributed more than 30,000 medical kits and 40,000 food packets in the region.
The Ministry of Interior has also set up check-posts at several locations in the quarantine zone to regulate entry of vehicles and ensure sanitisation of all exiting vehicles.
The media tour also included members of various communities in Qatar. AP Manikantan, an India expatriate who was part of tour, said the Indian community organizations are committed to work with authorities to stop the spread of COVID-19.