TASHKENT, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The first unit of Uzbekistan's largest medical facility built outside the capital city of Tashkent in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is near completion, Enter Engineering, the company contracted to build the hospital, said Wednesday.
Last month, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev ordered the 10,000-bed hospital for infectious diseases to be built within a month as part of an ongoing nationwide effort to combat the novel coronavirus.
Enter Engineering said in a statement that the first unit, intended to accomodate 1,000 patients, is scheduled to open in early May, with the remaining elements to finish completion one month later.
The new hospital is designed both to treat virus-infected patients and to house Uzbek citizens returning home from abroad who require quarantine. It is also intended to be used as a permanent hospital for infectious diseases, with a service life of at least 25 years, according to the company.
The hospital will have two complexes, with each one designed to accommodate 5,000 patients, Enter Engineering added.
Uzbekistan has reported 1,692 confirmed COVID-19 cases and six deaths as of Wednesday, and has locked down all major cities, including Tashkent. Enditem
