Photo taken on May 31, 2022 shows a view of the makeshift hospital at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in east China's Shanghai. The convention center-turned makeshift hospital, Shanghai's largest makeshift hospital for COVID-19 patients during the latest resurgence of infections, closed down on Tuesday.(Photo: Xinhua)
The construction of a "makeshift hospital" worth about 42 million yuan ($5.8 million) in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province made a splash recently, raising public concerns over the purpose of the project at a time when COVID-19 is no longer a public health crisis.
The latest response from local authorities on Wednesday stated that the makeshift hospital will be converted into an emergency and training center and used to coordinate public health responses, according to The Paper quoting the Jiamusi Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources. "It is a project designed to improve local medical services," the report said.
However, according to earlier report on Wednesday, a representative from the Jiamusi Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources told The Paper that the makeshift hospital actually will not be used as originally planned, but will instead be converted into a leisure project accommodating cultural and travel related projects and hotels.
Designated as a "medical and social welfare land usage" the project, located in Qianjin district of Jiamusi city, currently is being publicly displayed for public opinion from August 1 to August 9.
"National funding for this project was received amid the COVID-19 epidemic. Although the project will not be used a makeshift hospital, the name will still be associated with it," the representative mentioned above said.The leisure project belongs to the scope of market operation, the representative said.
The replies from the local government departmentcaused widespread controversy online with many netizens criticizingit is an act of formalism from local government.
Analysts said if the special fund cannot be utilized for its intended purpose, it should either be redirected toward other official uses or returned to the government. Forcing the expenditure of the approved governmental fund will ultimately result in the wastage of money and resources.
The Paper said the successful bidder for project belongs to the local housing bureau and fund of the makeshift hospital project comes from "central allocated budget and local supporting fund." The scheduled construction period is between August 26, 2023 and December 31, 2024.
During the three-year COVID-19 epidemic, a large number of makeshift hospitals were built and operated across the country, enabling mild patients to receive timely and effective treatment. After the epidemic prevention and control policy was adjusted, the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council pointed a direction for how to reuse those makeshift facilities, at a press conference on December 9, 2022, which recommended upgrading facilities into extra hospitals.
However, due to the different scenarios across makeshift hospitals, local governments are able to make the best use of the makeshift facilities that are better adapted to local conditions.
In January this year, Jinan, the capital city of East China's Shandong Province, was widely compliments for transforming makeshift hospitals into residential apartments.
Following the upgrade, the original 56,206- square meter shelter was transformed into 650 rooms in its first phase, which are used as skilled talent apartments, and will be adjusted and added in accordance with the needs of local businesses in the future, Xinhuanghe reported.
Global Times
