Coronavirus: China designs floating hospital to combat infectious diseases
- The ‘Emergency Medical Aid Ship’ will be able to handle coronavirus cases and patients with similar contagious respiratory diseases
- Its quarantine functions also could be replicated on Chinese warships and even cruise liners
China has completed the concept design of a floating hospital to help combat the coronavirus outbreak.
The “Emergency Medical Aid Ship”, which would be able to handle coronavirus cases and patients with similar contagious respiratory diseases, was designed by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s Institute 701, a research unit based in Wuhan – ground zero of the outbreak – that also designs warships.
“The ship should effectively deal with unknown infectious diseases such as Covid-19 [the disease caused by the novel coronavirus], with a brand new medical protection protocol and arrangement of personnel, materials, fuel, ventilation, waste and sewage,” the institute’s official social media account said.
China has only one hospital ship, the 14,000-tonne Daishandao, which is operated by the People’s Liberation Army Navy and used mainly for overseas humanitarian missions under the name “Peace Ark”.
Daishandao has about 300 beds, including 20 for intensive care and 10 for quarantine, but focuses on conventional medical services for non-infectious illnesses and injuries, with no specific capacity for contagious diseases.
