Canberra Coronavirus Field Hospital
The Canberra Coronavirus Field Hospital is a temporary hospital in Canberra, Australia created in preparation of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.[1] The hospital was constructed by Aspen Medical,[2] a Canberra-based company specialising in temporary hospital construction,[3] and is located on Garran Oval to the northeast of the existing Canberra Hospital campus.[4]
Coronavirus Field Hospital | |
---|---|
The proposed location of the hospital | |
General information | |
Status | In operation |
Type | Field hospital |
Classification | Hospital |
Address | 123 Kitchner Street, Garran, ACT, Australia |
Town or city | Canberra |
Country | Australia |
Coordinates | 35.34305°S 149.1018914°E |
Elevation | 603 metres |
Groundbreaking | 9 April 2020 |
Estimated completion | May 2020 |
Opened | 21 May 2020 |
Cost | A$23 million |
Owner | ACT Government |
Design and construction | |
Main contractor | Aspen Medical |
History
The project was announced on 9 April 2020.[5] At that time 84 patients in Canberra had been diagnosed with COVID-19, 9 of whom were in hospital.[6] Construction began that day[7][8] and was expected to cost A$23 million.[9] On 21 May 2020, the hospital was opened after only 37 days of construction.[10][11] Shortly after, on 24 May 2020, ACT health authorities announced the hospital would likely remain unused due to the successful prevention of a major outbreak in the territory.[12] This would also bring the cost of the project down to A$14 million.[13][14]
Staff and facility
The facility will be staffed by 200 medical professionals, and will add 44 beds[15] and six resuscitation bays[16] to Canberra's medical system, making it a major part of the ACT Government's efforts to triple intensive care capacity from 50 to 170 beds.[17] Additionally, infrastructure like power, water, sewerage, and covered walkways connecting it to the Canberra Hospital are to be constructed for the facility.[16]
See also
References
- Media, Newstate (8 April 2020). "Garran Oval to house temporary COVID-19 ED". Canberra Weekly. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- Bushnell, Ian. "Aspen Medical to build COVID-19 ED at Canberra Hospital". The RiotACT. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- "Deployable Mobile Hospitals". www.aspenmedical.com. 15 September 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- Jervis-Bardy, Dan (9 April 2020). "ACT's $23m coronavirus ED to be built on Garran oval". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development (9 April 2020). "Temporary COVID-19 Emergency Department". COVID-19. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development (1 April 2020). "COVID-19 update – 1 April 2020". COVID-19. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- Bushnell, Ian. "UPDATED: Temporary COVID-19 ED on Garran Oval will have 200 staff". The RiotACT. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- Brown, Andrew (9 April 2020). "Work begins on temporary coronavirus ED at Garran Oval". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- "Dedicated coronavirus field hospital to be constructed in Canberra, opening next month". www.msn.com. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- "ABC Canberra". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
- Brown, Andrew (21 May 2020). "Inside Canberra's pop-up COVID-19 hospital". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
- Editor, Letters to the (28 May 2020). "Far too early to say we won't need Garran's field hospital". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 28 June 2020.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
- "'We had no idea whether we would be successful': Why a field hospital was built on a Canberra cricket ground". www.abc.net.au. 23 May 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- Samaras, Denholm (21 May 2020). "Inside the ACT's makeshift COVID-19 surge centre". Canberra Weekly. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- Lowrey, Tom (2 April 2020). "Four new cases of COVID-19 in Canberra as plans for emergency hospital expansion announced". ABC News. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- Brown, Andrew (9 April 2020). "Work begins on temporary coronavirus ED at Garran Oval". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- Brewer, Lucy Bladen Peter (8 April 2020). "ACT to treble number of ICU beds ahead of winter". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 11 April 2020.