First 2 patients arrive tonight at the COVID Campaign Hospital in Portimão

The first two patients, both from the hospital in Faro, arrive this evening at the COVID Campaign Hospital, called «CHUA Arena», in Portimão.

Doctor Ana Castro, chairman of the Board of Directors of the University Hospital Center of the Algarve (CHUA), explained to journalists that these two patients are people of "different ages", since one is 56 years old and the other 83.

The same official added that the entry into operation of the field hospital in Portimão Arena was made "as part of the activation of Phase 4 of the Contingency Plan" of CHUA, which predicts that, "when 80% of the capacity of Phase 3 was exhausted, it would have to open Phase 4, what happened».

The opening of the structure, he added, is also intended to "support patients from outside the region." Ana Castro announced that the field hospital should also receive patients from other regions, namely Lisbon and Vale do Tejo. "We still don't know how many patients will be, but we have already been contacted."

CHUA Arena has a capacity of up to 100 beds and will function as a back-up service, maintaining the capacity to respond to patients who seek healthcare facilities and relieving the pressure on public hospitals.

CHUA Arena Campaign Hospital – Photo: Elisabete Rodrigues | Sul Informação

For now, only 20 beds open, which are supported by the respective team (2 doctors, 3 nurses and 3 assistants, as well as cleaning and logistics staff).

«The ratios aren't great, but this situation is special, it's different and we, health professionals, are doing our best», said Ana Castro. This responsible underlined the “good will of the professionals, who were already making an effort and are still making an effort”.

In fact, she explained, in addition to being chairman of the Board of Directors of CHUA, she is a doctor and is in the field hospital in these functions, "to do whatever shifts are necessary, for as long as necessary."

At the moment, in the two public hospitals in the Algarve – Faro and Portimão – there are «120 Covid patients admitted to the ward», so the new 100 beds in the field hospital «almost double our response capacity».

Not least because, stressed Ana Castro, "there are still other patients and hospitals must also respond to these."

The official said that these new beds are "a good pillow", expressing the "hope that these beds arrive not only for us, but for those who need us", in other regions.

The zone for patients who may become critical – Photo: Elisabete Rodrigues | Sul Informação

The basic structure of the field hospital in the Arena pavilion, in Portimão, had been in place for months. But now, in just 24 hours, everything was prepared to receive the first patients. "In 24 hours, equipment, telephones, computers were installed, beds were made, in short, everything needed to receive patients," he explained to Sul Informação Isilda Gomes, mayor of Portimão.

The assembly of the field hospital cost the municipality of Portimonense 230 thousand euros, but Isilda Gomes considers that it was «the best investments we have ever made».

This effort to make the CHUA Arena operational was possible thanks to the commitment and joint work between the teams of the University Hospital Center of the Algarve, the Portimão City Council and the Civil Protection Authority, with the support of the Algarve Regional Health Administration .

The field hospital is intended for people who are sick with Covid, but with a less complicated clinical picture. However, as explained by Fernando Aleixo, head nurse of Intensive Care at the hospital in Portimão, he is also prepared to "care for acute patients", in case patients hospitalized there "aggravate their clinical condition". There is an area of the field hospital equipped with advanced life support equipment, including portable ventilators.

The clinical management of the space and the treatment of patients is now under the responsibility of the medical, nursing, technical and auxiliary teams of the University Hospital Center of the Algarve, while a reinforcement of the hiring of human resources is planned.

This structure works as a back-up unit, so it only receives patients who are referred to it by the CHUA hospital units and with specific criteria defined by the clinical teams.

Monsignor Cupertino blessing the facilities- Photo: Elisabete Rodrigues | Sul Informação

To mark the start of operations at the CHUA Arena field hospital, its facilities were blessed this afternoon by 92-year-old Monsignor Cupertino. A blessing, he explained, "is not a kind of going to the witch to see if you are lucky", it is "the invocation of the power of God".

“Good work, good luck, a functioning heart and mind, trust in God that this will pass”, said Monsignor Cupertino, addressing the doctors and nurses present at the field hospital.

Photos: Elisabete Rodrigues | Sul Informação