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GHD recently designed an emergency quarantine hospital in Qatar in just two weeks as part of the ongoing global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Libsear Field Hospital is the second field hospital to be opened in the country and is located near Al Shahaniya (Dukhan Road).
GHD’s office in Qatar was invited to provide its client, the contractor on the project, with design and technical support. In just a matter of hours, GHD was working closely with the client’s construction team to set out practical next steps and identify and source suitable materials and equipment that were available to deliver the project in the tight timeframe. Within the next 24 hours, GHD’s design team prepared a proposal for the client to present to the Qatari government, which was duly approved, and the work was begun.
Over a period of just twelve days, a team of 18 GHD employees from Qatar, supported by GHD healthcare specialists in Brisbane, worked tirelessly to design the hospital in time. GHD provided a masterplan for the site, along with architectural, structural, infrastructure and MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) services and technical support during the build.
Libsear Field Hospital accommodates 504 beds, as well as associated medical and support facilities. One of the first of its kind, the facility is made from shipping containers, cladded using insulated panels and fitted with a steel gauge system that can be recycled after use. The hospital is divided into two buildings comprising 32 wards each, with each ward containing 18 beds with a nursing station and housekeeping facilities.
Meet Bassam
Bassam Halabi, GHD’s General Manager – Qatar, said, “We are proud and honoured to have played a role in this national initiative to give back to the community at this uncertain time. Due to GHD’s fast response to delivery time, Qatar was able to provide isolated accommodation to help control the spread of the virus. GHD delivered this as one of the first facilities of its kind in the country and, as a result, has since worked on another similar hospital in Qatar.”
Meet Simon
Simon Light, Managing Director EMEA at GHD, added, “GHD is committed to creating lasting community benefit and we were delighted that our team in Qatar could use their collective experience and expertise to support the Qatari COVID-19 response. Designing a hospital in less than two weeks is no mean feat and we are very proud of our people for rising to the challenge and completing this extraordinary project within the extremely tight timeframe.”