It can admit up to 110 inpatients.

Currently, 80 beds are already available, as Rector Ilshat Gafurov commented during a morning briefing. “There are about 15 lung ventilators, separate concentrators and other devices for oxygen supply. Today, the staff of the temporary hospital consists mainly of the employees of our Clinic and residents. The Ministry of Health of Tatarstan rendered great assistance in equipping the temporary hospital. We must be ready to take care of our employees and the residents of Kazan in general,” he said. Another floor is getting prepared to accept COVID patients.

“We have worked out the logistics of the building, are receiving new equipment and setting up systems for remote consultations. In the medical buildings, we have equipped reception areas and disinfection chambers, provided oxygen supply. The staff is fully prepared to work with such patients,” assured Deputy Chief Medical Officer Emma Mukhametshina.

The Clinic is now divided into red and green zones so that ordinary patients and staff of the COVID wards do not meet. In the red zone, intensive care wards were adapted with the possibility of expanding to two wards for up to 10 patients who need to be connected to ventilators. In addition, another 70 additional shared beds are allocated, each with access to an oxygen point. In total, the temporary hospital will be able to admit a maximum of 110 patients in need of inpatient treatment. Most often these are people who need oxygen supply. For this, new devices were purchased for continuous flow oxygenation of severe patients. The entrance is controlled by a registrar who records time spent in the red zone, entrance and exit time, and controls the use of protective gear.

Each bed is equipped with comprehensive monitoring of oxygenation, heartbeat, breathing, and blood pressure. Continuous cardiogram recording is provided. Every irregularity is immediately detected in the centralized information system and is properly tended to.

Up to 50 employees will be allocated to the COVID ward. Shifts in the red zone are 4 to 6 hours long. All case sheets are in electronic format, which provides for uninterrupted control of a patient’s condition.

“We are gradually learning more about the virus. We understand that this is not merely an infectious disease, but more of a systemic process involving multiple organs. First, it’s the bronchopulmonary system, and then blood vessels; there may be thrombosis because of increased blood clotting. It’s important for rheumatologists to be involved in treatment. The whole world is studying this ailment right now. We are now at version 8.1 of our national clinical recommendations for COVID treatment,” added Timur Sibgatullin, Head of the University Clinic’s Rheumatology Ward.

Source text: Alina Minnevalieva

Photos: Alexander Kuznetsov

Translation: Yury Nurmeev