Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly inspected on Monday a new quarantine field hospital and drive-through testing site affiliated to the Ain Shams University aimed at coronavirus (COVID-19) cases. The sites are scheduled to begin work on Thursday as part of efforts to expand the medical services and testing for coronavirus patients. The tour of inspection was conducted in the presence of Minister of Health Hala Zayed, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khaled Abdel Ghaffar as well as other officials. During the tour, Abdel Ghaffar said the hospital is located over 4,600sqm, and has a total of 200 beds which include intensive care and quarantine unit beds. There are also beds which have been set aside for healthcare workers. The hospital, which took 15 days to build, was established at a cost of EGP 28m, according to local media reports. For the first time in Egypt, the field hospital contains units offering drive-through testing for coronavirus cases, as well as treatment according to protocols approved by the Ministry of Health. It will also receive suspected cases of the virus. With drive-through testing now available, people will be able to undergo testing for the virus at public testing sites. The sites will be established in several other universities, including Cairo University, Future University and 6th of October University. The sites aim for the early detection of cases to reduce the coronavirus-related death rate, as on Sunday, Egypt saw its highest 24-hour record of fatalities at 91. Meanwhile, Ain Shams University President Mahmoud El-Matiny said the field hospital was implemented based on the latest international medical standards. It is equipped with the required medical supplies and equipment. The Tahya Misr Fund has contributed to the hospital's establishment. It has provided 15 ventilators, 1,000 units of protective gear for medical workers, 10,000 face masks, 500 KN masks, and around 500 N95 face masks as well as sterilisation products. . In the meantime, Madbouly instructed for an increase in the number of university hospitals offering treatment for the virus in Cairo, Giza and Qaliubiya governorates. These three governorates have reported some of the highest infection rates in the country. In his talk-show El-Hekayah on Sunday, TV presenter Amr Adeeb said that drive-through testing will not be free of charge, and that results could be released after six hours. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, countries around the world have begun to establish field hospitals and expand testing facilities. This has occurred through drive-through testing and other facilities, in efforts to reduce coronavirus-related fatalities and limit the virus' spread.
