TV Station visits field hospital "Porto.".Organisation and strict procedure compliance are key to a job well done

Coronavirus cases globally have now reached more than 24,000, with at least 928 deaths in Portugal. 

In Porto, Super Bock Arena - Pavilhão Rosa Mota venue has been turned in a hospital with beds for 300 patient, to cope with the pressure that threatens to overwhelm health systems.

The hospital also provides a canteen, bathrooms and shower rooms as well as acclimatization system that enables the place to remain at a constant temperature at all times.

A true army of volunteers is helping stem the spread of Covid-19 at the Field Hospital "Porto.", which came into operation on 14th April. TV Station SIC went to the hospital to see how things are running. Watch the report here.

Medical staff, doctors and nurses, and final-years medical students share the same mission: saving and healing patients that admitted daily at the Field Hospital, set up by Porto City Hall, with the support of the Portuguese Army, at the iconic building, where so many performances took to the stage and that now is the stage to a different mission, i.e., to support the two public hospitals in the city and to relieve the pressure on medic resources to treat the most severe Covid-19 patients.

In fact, the "Porto." Field Hospital is treating "asymptomatic patients, in most cases, who so not have the necessary conditions to self-isolate at home, or asymptomatic patients that need some sort of compensation for any illness or that are now in a recovery stage waiting for the negative test result", as stated by António Araújo, Coordinator of the Field Hospital "Porto." and President of the Northern Regional Medical Association.

SIC TV Station shadowed one work shift by support volunteers and saw how organisation and the strict procedure compliance are key to the success in patient treatment and to the mitigation of contagion risks. Volunteers (there are already 300 volunteers, although there isn't the need for that many volunteers to work at the hospital so far).

Most experienced and less experienced volunteers receive the initial training regarding the correct placement and removal of Personal Protective equipment (PPE), where the "clean" and "contaminate" areas are, how to act and proceed so that the team is more effective.

As of Wednesday, 22nd April, the Field Hospital was treating 19 infected patients, either asymptomatic or displaying mild symptoms.

Several private entities and citizens have support the field hospital with donations. There is also a fund raising campaign with donations via bank transfer (PT50078101129112000018026) to the account open by Porto City Hall at the IGCP - Agência de Gestão da Tesouraria e da Dívida Pública (Public Treasury Management).

This Money will be used by the Municipality of Porto to fight COVID-19.