A 300-bed hospital was opened in the western province of Herat on Saturday for COVID-19 patients, in the province where the highest number of coronavirus cases have been reported.
The hospital has been established from a converted hotel. A local businessman has turned it into a treatment center for COVID-19 patients.
This is the second center for coronavirus patients in the province; the first was a government-owned public hospital.
Local officials said the capacity of the new hospital will be increase to 1,000 beds if needed.
“A few containers of medical equipment required for the hospital will arrive soon,” said Basir Ahmad Ghoriani, a businessman.
Patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19, and suspected of being infected by the virus, will be admitted to the hospital.
“If a case is an emergency, the patient will be sent to Shaidaee hospital (in Herat). Other patients will be shifted to this hospital where they will be in isolation,” said Ghulam Daud Hashimi, deputy governor of Herat.
At least 200 doctors and nurses have been hired on at the hospital and are receiving training on the treatment of COVID-19 patients, according to Abdul Hakim Tamanna, head of Herat’s public health directorate.
“We had 204 positive cases of the coronavirus up until Friday evening, including 60 women and 144 men. We have four COVID-19 deaths and five have recovered so far,” Tamanna said.
So far 299 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Afghanistan, according to the Public Health Ministry.
