The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) aims to have all 61 Community Care Centers for COVID-19 cases operational in coming days across all 50 districts, serving as isolation centers for COVID-19 patients awaiting admission to a treatment facility.
The Governor of Bangkok, Aswin Kwanmuang on Saturday inspected a community care center for COVID-19 patients located at a Nong Bon flood mitigation center, currently taking care of COVID-19 patients in Prawet district.
This community care center is operated with the cooperation of the BMA, Rao Tong Rod network founded by actress Diana Jongjintanakarn, and a team of volunteers led by medical technician Parkphum Dechassadin, the owner of a well-known Facebook page, who helps coordinate hospital admissions and assistance for COVID-19 patients.
The community care center in the Prawet district will open to its first patients on Sunday. Equipped with medical supplies and with a medical team on hand, the facility can accommodate 120 COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms.
Ms Diana said her team now has some 5,000 patients awaiting hospitalization. Patients with mild symptoms are being assisted with enrollment in the home isolation program, while the team will be coordinating with treatment facilities to accommodate other patients who have moderate to severe symptoms.
The Bangkok Governor has visited the 164-bed community care center in Bueng Kum district, which opened its doors to patients this afternoon.
Bangkok City Hall currently has 28 community care centers operational. It aims to open more facilities to have 61 centers open for patients within a couple of days. The 61 community care centers across all 50 Bangkok districts combined, can accommodate 7,000-8,000 patients, extending the patient care capacity to cope with the higher surge of cases expected in the coming week.
Treatment facilities in Bangkok are now available only for COVID-19 patients with more serious symptoms. Patients with moderate symptoms are generally admitted to a field hospital, while patients with severe symptoms must be admitted at a general hospital.
With the increase in the number of more serious cases, hospitals in Bangkok are also racing to increase the capacity of their intensive care units. 40 more ICU beds are being added at Patchaphiphat Hospital, as well as 16 more ICU beds at Bang Khun Thian Geriatric Hospital, both run by the BMA. (NNT)
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