Russia, with a territory covering nearly one-seventh of the earth's surface, has engaged over 3,500 construction workers and 800 gear items to round-the-clock works on facilities that will be scattered from its westernmost city of Kaliningrad to the easternmost tip of Kamchatka by mid-May, the ministry's press service said in a release.
"To ensure the safety of military personnel and citizens in record short time, we have to complete the construction of 16 specialized medical centres, with a total capacity of 1,600 beds and equipped with the necessary medical equipment, by mid-May", the press service quoted Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov as saying.
He said each such centre would be equipped with modern medical technology, including computer tomographs, anesthesiology equipment, endoscopy, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
"The first multifunctional medical centre in Nizhny Novgorod will be completed by April 20 of this year. It should be noted that the construction of all 16 medical centres is proceeding ahead of schedule", the press release read.
While the construction is underway, the medical staff of the future centres has already been selected and is currently undergoing relevant training at the Kirov Military Medical Academy, the ministry said. The supply of personal protective equipment and drugs is also being put together for the centres, according to the report.
As of 28 March, Russia has registered 1,264 COVID-19 cases in 62 regions.
