The installation of the field hospital "is not an emergency measure, but a planned one", said the leader of the Azorean executive (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM), José Manuel Bolieiro, stressing that things are being done "step by step", following the fire on Saturday at the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo (HDES). José Manuel Bolieiro, who today visited the advanced medical post that the Red Cross is setting up in Ponta Delgada, in the sports pavilion of the Escola Mãe de Deus, highlighted the "proactivity that the Armed Forces have shown" in the installation of the field hospital, and that "all means are being prepared as soon as they are requested". The fire that broke out on Saturday at 9:40 am local time (10:40 am in Lisbon) at the HDES, and was only declared extinguished at 4:11 pm, forced the transfer of all patients who were hospitalised. At the time of the fire, there were 333 patients in the health facility and it was necessary to transfer 240 to various units on the island of São Miguel, including a private hospital in Lagoa, to the hospitals on the islands of Terceira and Faial and to the Autonomous Region of Madeira. Speaking to journalists during the visit to the advanced medical post of the Red Cross, the leader of the Azorean executive said that the structure has "sufficient capacity for all patients who are in the Ponta Delgada health centre", and it is expected that the 34 patients will be transferred on Friday. "As of Monday, the Ponta Delgada health centre will be at its full assistance capacity", added the government official, also stating that 42 HDES professionals will be at the Red Cross advanced medical post. Also speaking to journalists, the regional secretary for Health and Social Affairs, Mónica Seidi, admitted the possibility of "allocating other patients who in the meantime meet the criteria for admission to the hospitalisation regime" to the Red Cross structure. However, she added, the situation "does not arise at this time, because the Ribeira Grande health centre has an internal medicine ward" with capacity for 28 users. Mónica Seidi also stated that next week this capacity will be doubled and admitted a reinforcement of the health lines to assist the population if necessary. According to the Regional Government's health minister, work began on the ground today to allow the HDES "to gradually resume some activity", namely haemodialysis and the oncology day hospital services. Read Also: Posto médico em Ponta Delgada recebe doentes a partir de sexta-feira (Portuguese version)