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Work on the field hospital began Friday, one week after critical care doctor Ian Ball and his team brought the idea to LHSC’s top brass. He commends LHSC chief executive Paul Woods, who is now on a medical leave, for pulling the trigger on the project.

“His exact words were: ‘The time for planning is over. It’s time to act,’ ” Ball said. “This is a classic plan for the worst, hope for the best scenario. . . . Our job is to be ready.”

Only non-critical patients with COVID-19 will be put at the LHSC’s Agriplex annex. The site will be used for hospitalized patients who do not require intensive medical intervention but are not yet well enough to be discharged. The field hospital could also be used for palliative care patients if needed, Ball said.

The field hospital has private rooms with a cot, chair and washable walls. Each one has a door flap that zips shut and a plastic window. It also has a negative pressure resuscitation room for patients in medical distress.

How the facility will be staffed by existing LHSC employees is still a work in progress, Johnson said.

The facility has been connected by the hospital’s information technology department and has the necessary sanitation and food service capabilities. It also has a storage area for people who pass away.

LHSC moved quickly on the project, tapping its general contractor, architects, suppliers and London-area vendors, facilities management director Derek Lall said.

“Our team has been going at break-neck speed on this,” Johnson said. “This is a huge team and collaborative effort.”