German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund have renovated their stadium so it can serve as a treatment centre for suspected coronavirus patients.
The North Stand at Signal Iduna Park has been modified with the help of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians of Westphalia-Lippe (KVWL) to act as a facility where patients can receive medical care, collect prescriptions and, if applicable, disability certificates.
“Our stadium is the figurehead of the city, a fixed point for almost everyone in Dortmund and the surrounding area and, thanks to its technical, infrastructural and spatial conditions, the ideal place to actively help people who are potentially infected by coronavirus,” said chief executives Hans-Joachim Watzke and Carsten Cramer.
“It is our duty and our desire to do everything in our power to help these people. In the KVWL we have a perfect partner at our side to lead this fight successfully.”
The club’s players and directors also took a collective pay cut last week in order to save the jobs of up to 850 non-playing staff, while three supporters’ groups have organised programmes to help those who are vulnerable in the city.
The first treatment centre opened in Dortmund last week and has already cared for over 1,000 patients.
Dr Kirk Spelmeyer, chairman at KVWL, added: ”Sure, the idea is unusual at first – with a fever and respiratory problems in the stadium for examination. But in fact we have the ideal conditions here: we were therefore very happy about the offer of help from BVB.
“The influx of patients [at the first clinic] is immense. The colleagues really do an excellent job, but we noticed that we urgently need to expand our capacities.”
