All 16 temporary hospitals in coronavirus-hit Wuhan closed

The last two temporary hospitals in Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in central China's Hubei Province, were shut down on Tuesday, marking the closure of all 16 temporary hospitals in the city.

The final batch of 49 patients walked out of the Wuchang temporary hospital at 3:30 pm on Tuesday (local time).

The temporary hospital, which was converted from Wuchang Hongshan Stadium, started operation on February 5. With 784 beds, it received a total of 1,124 patients and saw 833 patients discharged and 291 patients transferred to other hospitals.

Another temporary hospital, which was opened nearby on February 14, was also shut down on Tuesday afternoon after 26 days of operation.Featuring traditional Chinese medicine treatment, the makeshift hospital in Wuhan's Jiangxia district was transformed from a sports centre. It received a total of 564 patients, 392 of whom were discharged after recovery.To treat patients with mild symptoms and isolate the source of infection, Wuhan converted public venues such as exhibition centres and gymnasiums into 16 temporary hospitals.Wang Chen, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, said that the makeshift hospitals were created by using minimum social resources and the simplest venues to expand the capacity of treatment and admit more patients in a short time.Zhang Boli, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that the closure of all the temporary hospitals in Wuhan suggests that these hospitals have finished their historic tasks in the battle against the coronavirus.The 16 temporary hospitals in Wuhan have received a total of 13,000 patients and have played an effective role, Zhang added.