All 16 temporary hospitals in Wuhan closed

The last two temporary hospitals in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in central China's Hubei Province, were shut down 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 p.m. Tuesday.

The temporary hospital, which was converted from Wuchang Hongshan Stadium, started operation on Feb. 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 Feb. 14 was also shut down 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 center. 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 centers 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 the makeshift hospitals were created by using the minimum social resources and the simplest venues in order 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 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.