CRCC builds African and American versions of Huoshenshan Hospital to help fight against COVID-19 pandemic overseas

Updated: November 15, 2022 Source: Belt and Road Portal
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With the spread of COVID-19 in many places of the world, the pressure on prevention and control is increasing.On the premise of ensuring the epidemic prevention and control in its overseas projects, China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC) actively cooperates with local governments and devotes itself to the construction of isolation hospitals for epidemic prevention locally. Recently, the isolation hospital for epidemic prevention and control in Huambo Province of Angola built by China Railway 20th Bureau Group Corporation Limited (CR20) has been officially completed and put into use, and the local version of Huoshenshan Hospital in Trinidad and Tobago built by China Railway Construction Corporation (International) Limited has also been completed and handed over to the owner, providing important guarantees for local epidemic prevention and control.

CRCC successfully renovates Angolan version of Xiaotangshan Hospital

On March 24, the isolation hospital for epidemic prevention and control in Huambo Province of Angola, which was built with the participation of CR20, was officially delivered, marking the operation of the Angolan version of Xiaotangshan Hospital.

Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to spread in many countries in Africa, and three cases were confirmed in Angola, making the overall epidemic prevention and control situation increasingly grim.In order to strengthen epidemic prevention and control, the government of Huambo Province of Angola planned to renovate an old hospital as an isolation site, which requires the rearrangement and replacement of two power distribution cabinets, 58 lights, 46 sockets, 36 switches and 4,000 meters of wires.

Chinese and foreign construction workers install corridor lights.

Upon receiving the local government's request for support, CR20 Angola International Company transferred two electricians and 12 local employees from the surrounding project sites to assist immediately.In order to complete the task of circuit renovation and maintenance in the hospital as soon as possible, the above-mentioned workers went out at about 6 a.m. and got off work after 7 p.m. every day. Lunch was delivered to the construction site by special personnel arranged by the project department, with only half an hour for meals at most."Time is very tight. If we complete the task earlier, the safety of the Angolan people will be guaranteed in advance," said Bu Yanhui, a Chinese employee involved in the construction task.

Due to the pandemic, the lamps and sockets neededfor the reinstallation cannot be purchased normally.In order not to affect the construction progress, the builders allocated relevant materials from their own reserve materials to ensure the smooth construction, and checked and tested the installed lines and switches one by one to ensure their safety and quality.

Chinese and foreign construction workers reinstall wires.

Looking at the busy figures and the tired faces of the Chinese workers at the scene, thelocal aid workerswere deeply moved. "I am very happy to work in such an enterprise that makes us feel the help and warmth from the family,” said an Angolan employee.

On March 22 and 23, senior officials of Huambo Province visited the construction site twice to check the progress, and expressedsincere, thanks to the Chinese enterprise and China after seeing the construction progress and quality of the Chinese enterprise the governorof the province. 

Hurrying to build local version of HuoshenshanHospital in Trinidad and Tobago

On March 24, after several days of continuous efforts, China Railway Construction Corporation (International) Limited handed over all ward beds and equipment to the owner, and successfully completed the construction of a local-version Huoshenshan Hospital in Trinidad and Tobago.

A worker debugs the line.

At present, CRCC is debugging the electromechanical equipment, and training local medical workers in the operation of more than 500 medical devices involving ultrasound , physiotherapy, cardiopulmonary function testing, etc. It is expected that more than 300 local medical workers will participate in the training, which will play an important role in improving the medical conditions of the country.

“We kindly ask the project construction team to prepare 100 beds, two operating rooms, an intensive care unit and a sterilization center, as well as complete dialysis equipment within one week!"Recently, China Railway Construction Corporation (International) Limited has received a request from the owner of the Arima General Hospital project who needs the help of the project team to cope with the pandemic in Trinidad and Tobago.

Trinidad and Tobago has seen the rapid spread of the pandemic since the first confirmed case appeared on March 12, with the number of confirmed cases increasing to 57, which brings tremendous medical pressure on the country with a population of more than 1.2 million, a small land area and inadequate medical resources.

The project department immediately suspended the construction work in other areas, coordinated various resources, transferred bed equipment in other areas to designated areas, and controlled the density of construction workers to prevent cross-infection."Carrying out urgent work during the pandemic is more challenging than ever.But for the safety of the people of Trinidad and Tobago, we will shoulder the responsibility as we did in building the Huoshenshan Hospital in China,"project leader Li Dongsheng said.

The project team sets up the site for temperature detection to ensure strict epidemic prevention.

Under the increasingly grim epidemic situation, China Railway Construction Corporation (International) Limited took epidemic prevention and control as the most urgent and important political task, scientifically formulated the epidemic emergency plan, urgently stockpiled epidemic prevention materials and daily necessities, implemented closed management, strengthened communication and reporting with the embassy, and actively exchanged experience with other Chinese-funded enterprises todo a good job in joint prevention and control.During the period, the project department of the Arima General Hospital in Trinidad and Tobago worked overtime and overcame difficulties like the low efficiency of personnel organization and equipment and material transportation. More than 150 people worked 24,000 extra hours, and finally ensured the delivery of the emergency wards and equipment as scheduled, which once again won the praise of the owner.

The Arima General Hospital is another large-scale general hospital undertaken by CRCC in the Caribbean after the Scarborough General Hospital project. It is also CRCC's first hospital project integrating design, construction, equipment procurement and training. After completion, it will become one of the largest and most advanced hospitals in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean.


Editor: Jiang Feifan