The Huoshenshan Hospital is in the last stage of construction on Sunday. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

In just eight days, China built a hospital in the epicenter of the novel coronavirus that is ready to treat patients.

With more than 1,000 beds, the Huoshenshan Hospital finished its non-stop construction on Sunday. The hospital is managed by the People's Liberation of Army. It will receive patients starting Monday.

The hospital is located in Wuhan, capital city of Central China's Hubei Province and the epicenter of the novel coronavirus. More than 4,000 cases of the virus have been confirmed in the city of 14 million people. 

The design of the Huoshenshan Hospital was finished on January 24. Its area covers 33,900 square meters. Around 700 managerial personnel and 4,000 construction workers have been working on the Huoshenshan site, the Economic Daily reported Wednesday.

On January 24, more than 100 excavators arrived at the site of Huoshenshan to level the ground. The construction of the Huoshenshan Hospital officially started on January 25, the first day of the Chinese New Year. On January 29, the framework for more than 300 box-like prefabricated rooms was installed. The installation of medical facilities began on Saturday.

More than 80 million net users witnessed the completion of Huoshenshan construction via live stream on Sunday. Many viewed its completion as a symbol of hope. 

With Leishenshan Hospital still under construction in Wuhan, the two hospitals are drawing comparison with the Xiaotangshan Hospital. In 2003, the Xiaotangshan Hospital in Beijing's suburbs was built up in seven days to combat SARS. The hospital received one seventh of the total SARS patients in the country in two months.

Apart from the two hospitals in Wuhan, other cities in China are also building hospitals like Xiaotangshan Hospital for novel coronavirus patients. Beijing has begun renovating Xiaotangshan Hospital, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

A construction worker wolfs down his lunch at the Huoshenshan Hospital site. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

Construction workers take boxed lunch. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

 

A worker installs medical facility in a room of the Huoshenshan Hospital. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

 

Workers line up at the construction site. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

Two workers at the construction site install facilities. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

Global Times
Newspaper headline: Constructing for the Cure