THIS is now the scene at Cardigan leisure centre where the beds are now in place at the newly-established Ysbyty Enfys Aberteifi.

Ceredigion County Council and Hywel Dda University Health Board have worked together to establish two temporary field hospitals in the county in response to the coronavirus pandemic and they are now ready for handover to medical staff and will be brought on-line as required.

The sites have been prepared in less than three weeks thanks to a remarkable effort from contractors, local communities, staff and volunteers. A total of 48 beds are now available in Cardigan.

Eifion Evans, Ceredigion County Council chief executive, said: “Ceredigion County Council is proud to be supporting Hywel Dda University Health Board in establishing these new facilities.

“To be able to hand over the buildings within three weeks since starting work demonstrates a tremendous effort.

“I’d like to thank all the staff from the Health Board and the Council, and all local contractors who stepped up at short notice, for their hard work turning two leisure centres and a school into extra hospital bed facilities in less than three weeks.”

A total of seven temporary hospitals have been converted from council leisure centres, sport and recreational facilities across Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

Steve Moore, chief executive of Hywel Dda, said: “As a health board we are ready for the challenges ahead and we want our communities to be assured that we have done everything we possibly can to get to this point based on national planning and modelling assumptions.

“I would like to thank everyone who has been involved with these projects for their outstanding effort and commitment.”