Photos: Dubai field hospital bids farewell to last coronavirus patient

Doctors and nurses, still wearing protective gear, lined up clapping for Fujita as he left

Last updated: July 07, 2020 | 20:39

AFP and Compiled by Nathaniel Lacsina, Digital Content Editor

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Dubai: Dubai on Tuesday closed its only field hospital set up at a convention centre to treat coronavirus cases after the last patient, a Japanese national, walked out in good health.

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Doctors and nurses, still wearing protective gear, lined up clapping for Hiroaki Fujita as he left the Dubai World Trade Centre which was converted to a 3,000-bed field hospital in April to treat virus patients.

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"I ask everyone to take a more safer way," says Fujita. "Feeling very good that I am about to go out."

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The number of coronavirus cases in the United Arab Emirates has dropped sharply from a peak of 900 a day in May.

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The Gulf state has so far reported 52,600 coronavirus cases including 326 deaths and 41,714 recoveries.

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A majority of the remaining patients are being treated at other hospitals across the UAE and some of them are recovering at home.

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Director of the hospital Manal Taryam said medical equipment used will be "kept at stores and will be continuously sterilised."

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"If we need, we can reactivate the field hospital within hours ... But we are confident while closing it," she said.

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"Today, thanks to efforts ... we have been able to put the pandemic under control," Taryam said.

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The closure coincides with Dubai reopening its doors for tourists after a four-month shutdown with the hope of reviving the key tourism sector.

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A cleaner sanitises rooms at the temporary COVID-19 hospital.

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Cleaner sanitise rooms at the temporary COVID-19 hospital built in downtown Dubai.

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