The People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region dispatched 86 medical staff and six cleaning staff on Feb 15 to the temporary emergency ward of Yongwu Hospital, the Guangxi version of "Xiaotangshan Hospital", a makeshift hospital built to treat patients infected with the novel coronavirus.

The medical staff will be divided into three groups, which are for severe, ordinary, and suspected patients. The hospital has been set up with 48 wards and 94 beds, of which 20 are intensive care beds. A glass transfer cabin with an ultraviolet disinfection function has been installed in each ward to ensure safe transfer of food and other items to patients without transmitting the virus.

The first batch of medical staff is sent to the temporary emergency ward of Yongwu Hospital, a Xiaotangshan-style hospital in Guangxi, on Feb 15. [Photo by Lin Liang/gxnews.com.cn]

In addition, the hospital is also equipped with information functions, such as remote video conferencing and remote consultation. Through the 5G network, video consultations with experts can be conducted at any time to discuss cases.

The hospital also has two transportation robots and two cleaning robots. The transportation robots can transport medicine, specimens, food, and daily necessities, while the cleaning robots have a regular cleaning function and are equipped with a sprayer, which can spray disinfectant to disinfect spaces throughout the hospital.

In the future, the hospital will treat and observe confirmed patients.

According to the Guangxi Health Commission, as of Feb 14, a total of 235 cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia were confirmed in the region and 40 patients have been discharged. At present, 181 suspected cases, six severe cases, six critical cases, and two deaths have been reported.