State quarantine hotel now ready to serve as hospitel
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is implementing three plans to combat the rising Covid-19 caseload: boosting capacity at Bangkok hospitals, modifying hotels to become "hospitels" for asymptomatic patients, and launching field hospitals.
On Saturday, Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang oversaw the preparation of a hospitel at Elegant Airport Hotel in Prawet district.
Elegant Airport Hotel has two seven-storey buildings and includes state quarantine and hospitel.
The hospitel has 230 rooms with a medical team that can provide treatment to Covid-19 patients all day.
Patients who wish to be treated at a hospitel must have eligibility, such as age less than 50 years without risks of severe symptoms and able to communicate and take care of themselves.
Meanwhile, hospitals can take patients back if there are any changes in patients' symptoms.
This hospitel will gradually open rooms for patients as follows: 70 rooms on April 26, 80 rooms on April 30, 40 rooms on May 15, and another 40 rooms on May 30.
"Elegant Airport Hotel's state quarantine was able to perform duties in line with standards and there is no report of Covid-19 infection among the medical team after it was opened for a year," Aswin said.
Aswin added that the hospitel had both single and shared rooms with a medical team to evaluate patients' symptoms and provide treatment advice via video call and Me-More application.
"Instructions would be given to patients before entering the hospitel, while City Law Enforcement Department officers and police in the area had been instructed to provide safety for patients," he added.