Field hospitals set up in Mexicali to help with coronavirus cases

MEXICALI, B.C. (KYMA, KECY)-Two field hospitals were installed at the faculty of medicine at the Universidad Autónoma of Baja California, in Mexicali, to cover the demand for patients infected with the coronavirus.

Coronavirus cases are expected to rise in the new few days following the outbreak of the epidemic.

The installation of the field hospitals will be conducted by the Ministry of National Defense as part of an agreement. However, medical care will be provided by professionals from the Faculty of Medicine.

The deputy director of the Faculty of Medicine, Armando Rodríguez, explained that in field hospitals they will have the capacity to serve 80 patients.

Rodriguez said the field hospitals have electricity, air conditioning, lounge chairs, mattresses and blankets, bathrooms and temporary showers will be installed.

The secretary of health in Baja California will be in charge of medical supplies and equipment in the field hospitals.

A field hospital will be installed in the ISSSTE hospital parking lot in the upcoming days. It will have a capacity for 60 patients.

Mexicali is the first city in Baja California to have field hospitals with a capacity of 140 patients.

According to health authorities, the epidemic was declared a few weeks ago in Mexicali following the same trends of contagion in China.

The Secretary of Health in Baja California, Alonso Pérez Rico, said the increase in coronavirus cases worries the community.

As of Friday, there are 58 cases of people infected by coronavirus in Baja California, of which 38 correspond to Mexicali.

Field hospitals will be ready in the next few days and will start operations when public hospitals are out of capacity.