London’s ExCeL centre is being converted into a temporary hospital to assist in the UK’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.
Having only been announced last week, the NHS Nightingale Hospital will contain 4000 beds for covid-19 patients amid the United Kingdom’s biggest challenge in decades.
The military have been enlisted to help with the rapid construction of the site, with two morgues also constructed alongside the hospital. Additional help has also come in the from of retired NHS staff as well as thousands of staff from Virgin and Easyjet.
“This has been an extraordinary team effort on the part of nurses and doctors and therapists and pharmacists across London, but also volunteers and paramedics and people returning to help,” NHS Chief Executive Sir Simon Stevens told the BBC.
We’re actually seeing similar types of hospitals being established in Berlin and Madrid and New York
“And when these services are needed, they will be available beginning later this week, and because this is a global health emergency we’re actually seeing similar types of hospitals being established in Berlin and Madrid and New York.”
170 million items of protective equipment have been brought in to help with the huge project.
“The army have been brilliant in helping but we know we’re going to need more and the Government are pulling out all the stops to procure for us that personal protective equipment that we will want over the coming days and weeks,” Sir Simon said.
Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has also announced that temporary hospital site in Glasgow could soon follow. There are plans to transform the city’s exhibition centre into a similar facility with the location chosen due to its close proximity to other hospitals in Scotland as well as its access to transport links and strong security measures.
