Turkish mobile hospital provider to build field hospitals abroad, starting in Romania
This undated photo shows a model of a field hospital designed by Turkey's SDI Global LLC, which won a $14 million tender to build a hospital for COVID-19 patients in Romania. (AA Photo)


Turkish mobile hospital provider SDI Global LLC has won a 13.2 million euro ($14.25 million) tender to build a field hospital in Romania to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

The firm will sign more agreements worth 61 million euros to build temporary hospitals in two European Union countries and three Middle Eastern countries, Adnan Çolak, a board member of the firm, told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Thursday.

The 250-bed facility in Romania, which will be built as per NATO standards, will have 103 intensive care beds, 143 semi-intensive care beds, five triage beds, five emergency beds, a radiology room, laboratory and a surgery room.

"Unfortunately, existing hospital structures help the spread of the virus. Thanks to the technology we have developed, the environment will be free from all kinds of particles or viruses," Colak said. "The treatment process is faster and efficient," he added.

After originating in Wuhan, China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 185 countries and regions, with Europe and the U.S. the worst-hit regions.

Almost all countries are facing a shortage of hospital beds, as well as a lack of medical supplies.

To assist other nations, Turkey boosted its production of masks, gloves and personal protective equipment (PPE), and donated them to scores of countries, including Spain, Italy and the U.K.

Worldwide cases have topped 2.63 million with more than 183,000 virus-linked deaths. Over 715,000 patients have recovered, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.