F1 Pit Building being converted 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.ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN
Toh Ting Wei and
Timothy Goh
SINGAPORE - The F1 Pit Building in 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 polo shirts with "security" printed on the 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 is meant to care for Covid-19 patients.
A set-up of triage stations seen on the first floor of the F1 Pit Building on Oct 28, 2021. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN
The beds on the second and third floors of the F1 Pit Building on Oct 28, 2021. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN
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.
Singapore's F1 Pit Building being readied for Covid-19 patients | THE BIG STORY
No patients have yet been admitted to the facility, but the workers said preparations are almost done and 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.