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Russian hospital opens in Beirut

It can receive up to 200 people a day and have beds for 50 patients

Citizens are seen in front of a house destroyed in Beirut AP Photo/Hussein Malla

Citizens are seen in front of a house destroyed in Beirut

© AP Photo/Hussein Malla

MOSCOW, August 6. /TASS/. An air mobile hospital of the Russian Emergency Ministry’s Tsentrospas unit has begun operation in Beirut ravaged by a major explosion on Monday, the ministry’s press service told TASS.

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"At 15:00, the Russian Emergency Ministry Tsentrospas unit’s hospital opened for patient admission. It will work round the clock in case injured people are rushed in after being found under the rumble by rescuers and between 08:00 and 20:00 to receive patients on an ambulatory basis," the ministry noted.

Russian rescuers took less than 12 hours to deploy the hospital at a stadium near the emergency zone.

The Russian unit features various professionals, while the hospital is operating autonomously and can stay like that up to 30 days straight. It can receive up to 200 people a day and have beds for 50 patients. The ministry clarified that the hospital has an ICU, operating theatre, diagnosis and consultation units as well as ultrasound, X-ray and EKG departments and a blood lab. The hospital is equipped for the most complicated surgeries.

Beirut explosion

A powerful blast rocked the Beirut seaport area near the Lebanese Navy’s base on August 4, sending a shockwave through residential neighborhoods of the Lebanese capital. The shockwave destroyed and damaged dozens of buildings and cars. Local authorities say the blast was caused by the detonation of 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, stored in the port after being confiscated by customs services in 2015. According to the latest updates, 137 people were killed and nearly 5,000 others were injured. Authorities say that reckless welding work caused the chemical to explode.

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