November 06, 2021, 09:59 PM
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The F1 Pit Building in the heart of Singapore's city has been converted to a Covid-19 Treatment Facility (CTF).
It will be used to treat Covid-19 patients, and is the latest of 17 CTFs and private hospitals mobilised over the last two months, to cope with the rising cases.
According to Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who made a Nov. 6 Facebook post about his visit to the facility, nurses and doctors at the F1 Pit Building CTF will be able to provide oxygen supplementation for patients who need it.
Photo credit: National University Health System via Ong Ye Kung on Facebook.
The facility will start operations next Tuesday (Nov. 9), Ong said.
In his post, Ong gave credit to various stakeholders who were involved in setting up the CTF, including Mandarin Oriental hotel, whose involvement takes the form of curating "a healthy menu" for patients, and to engage seniors through activities.
The patient area in the facility, shown in a photo from Ong's post, comprises neat rows of low-walled cubicles, each of which holds two single beds, a table and chairs, a small storage cabinet, and wall plugs.
Ong thanked the Singapore Tourism Board for offering the temporary space, "during this time of urgent need".
Here's what the facility looks like from the racetrack:
"From turning around F1 cars, Pit Building will soon be used to turn around Covid-19 patients and help them recover," wrote Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Facebook. Photo via Ong Ye Kung on Facebook.
What is a CTF for?
Announcing the opening of the first CTF in Tampines on Sep. 23, the Ministry of Health said that such facilities will provide care for elderly patients with mild symptoms and are generally well, but have underlying conditions (e.g. cardiac diseases) that require closer monitoring.
The 17 CTFs and private hospitals designated for this purpose currently have a capacity of 2,300 beds, said Ong.
He added that more CTF capacity will be added by the end of the month, bringing the total number of CTF beds to 4,000.
Other uses of the F1 Pit Building
The F1 Pit Building has been used for other non-F1 purposes over the years, including serving as the official media centre for the 2018 Trump-Kim summit.
Top photo via Ong Ye Kung on Facebook
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