F1 pit building turns into medical facility for Covid-19 patients
Within the complex, the halls have been partitioned into various sections with numbered beds that went into the 600s.
PHOTO: The Straits Times
PUBLISHED ONOctober 28, 2021 9:36 AMByToh Ting Wei Timothy Goh
SINGAPORE - The F1 Pit Building at Marina Bay is being converted into a medical facility for Covid-19 patients.
Dozens of people were seen walking inside the building when The Straits Times visited on Thursday (Oct 28) afternoon.
A few were working on the facade of the building, while several others were wearing a polo-shirt with "security" printed on their back. Inside the facility, there were hundreds of beds already set up.
Several signs for "triage stations" were pasted on the walls, with machines and what appeared to be screening stations set up below them.
Within the complex, the halls have been partitioned into various sections with numbered beds that went into the 600s. Partitions were installed between them.
Triage refers to the process of deciding which patients should be treated first based on how sick or injured they are.
Five workers told ST that the facility was meant to care for Covid-19 patients.
The two main types of facilities for such patients are Community Care Facilities and Covid-19 treatment facilities.
Community Care Facilities are meant for those who have tested positive for Covid-19 and are generally well but need to be isolated for various reasons.
Covid-19 treatment facilities are for patients who are generally well but have underlying health conditions that require closer monitoring, and who may be at risk of developing severe illness.
These facilities have the medical capabilities and resources, including oxygen supplementation, to safely manage such patients.
No patients have yet been admitted into the facility at the F1 pit, but the workers said preparations are almost done and that the facility will open in November.
ST has contacted the Singapore Tourism Board and the Ministry of Health for more information.
In June this year, it was announced that the Singapore F1 Grand Prix would be cancelled for a second year in a row due to Covid-19.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.