Photos: Bahrain converts car park into COVID-19 hospital

Bahrain has converted the multi-storey car park of a military hospital into a 130-bed intensive care unit for patients with COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, and plans to set up four more field ICUs.

At the makeshift ICU at the Bahrain Defence Force Hospital in Riffa, south of the capital Manama, each bed is equipped with a ventilator.

Authorities said they plan to raise capacity to 500 beds once other field units are set up across the country.

The hospital has been set up as a precautionary measure in case of a spike in coronavirus cases.

The ICU was set up by the defence ministry in cooperation with other government bodies, on the third floor of a military hospital which had served as a parking lot.

So far, a total of 751 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in Bahrain, out of which four patients are in a critical condition. To date, 591 patients have been discharged and 6 deaths have been confirmed.

Bahraini Royal Medical Services Commander, Major General Sheikh Khaled Bin Ali Al Khalifa, visits the newly-inaugurated intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients at the Bahrain Defense Force Hospital in Riffa

Medical staff are seen in the newly-inaugurated intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients at the Bahrain Defense Force Hospital in Riffa

A doctor is seen working inside the Step Down Unit of a makeshift ICU "Field Intensive Care Unit 1" set up by Bahrian authorities to treat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) critical patients, at a car-park of Bahrain Defence Force Hospital in Riffa, Bahrain

Medical staff are seen in the newly-inaugurated intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients at the Bahrain Defense Force Hospital in Riffa

Medical staff are seen in the newly-inaugurated intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients at the Bahrain Defense Force Hospital in Riffa

Doctors and nurses are seen walking out of a makeshift ICU "Field Intensive Care Unit 1" set up by Bahrian authorities to treat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) critical patients, at a car-park of Bahrain Defence Force Hospital in Riffa, Bahrain

Medical staff are seen in the newly-inaugurated intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients at the Bahrain Defense Force Hospital in Riffa

Doctors and nurses are seen doing their final check on the equipment in a makeshift ICU "Field Intensive Care Unit 1" set up by Bahrian authorities to treat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) critical patients, at a car-park of Bahrain Defence Force Hospital in Riffa, Bahrain

Medical staff are seen in the newly-inaugurated intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients at the Bahrain Defense Force Hospital in Riffa