Leishenshan Hospital closes after last patients leave

Leishenshan Hospital, an emergency specialty field hospital that started operating in February for treating patients infected with COVID-19 in Wuhan, Hubei province, will close on Wednesday after its last four patients were moved to Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University on Tuesday.

Wang Xinghuan, president of the hospital, said the hospital will not be dismantled and would remain on standby after a thorough disinfection.

"It was a crucial turning point of Wuhan's combat against the COVID-19 that the number of patients in our hospital fell to zero. And the hospital performed well, even on a global scale," Wang said.

According to Wang, the hospital admitted 2,011 patients infected with the novel coronavirus, with serious cases accounting for about 45 percent. The overall mortality rate of the hospital is about 2.3 percent.

Yuan Yufeng, vice president of the hospital, said one of the four patients moved out on Tuesday is 80 years old and two are in their 70s.

"The four tested negative for the novel coronavirus, but still need further treatment for their basic diseases," Yuan said.

In response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, Wuhan decided to build the hospital on Jan 25. The hospital, with capacity for 1,600 beds, was completed within less than two weeks.