Inside a field hospital in Czech Republic as surge in Covid-19 cases strains its the health care system

The Czech Republic has a field hospital set up in Prague and a second one is under construction in Brno at a convention center.

There are temporary bathrooms and a row of cubicles set up to accommodate beds, complete with dividers, curtains, cabinets and electrical and plumbing set up.

“They’re turning what was an empty shell into a fully functioning hospital. They want to have it done by the end of next week. When it is finished, it should be able to house more than 300 patients,” CNN’s Scott McLean reported.

With 1,448.7 cases per 100,000 people over the past 14 days, the Czech Republic now has the highest rate of new coronavirus infections and deaths per capita in the European Union, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). 

The Czech Republic is also leading the EU on deaths per capita over the past 14 days, with 13.5 Covid-19 fatalities per 100,000 people. 

This comes as the health care system in the Czech Republic is reeling under the strain of a surge in coronavirus cases. Hospitals have started to burst at the seams, stretching intensive care units to their limits, while also lacking staff. 

“About 1,000 health care workers are testing positive for the virus every single day. So while PPE, bed space is relatively easy to come by, it's not so easy to order doctors and nurses in bulk,” McLean added.

Read more on how the Czech Republic is trying to tackle the shortage of health workers here.