Guided by military medics, mild coronavirus pneumonia patients walk into the newly built Optics Valley branch of Hubei's Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital in Wuhan. [Photo/people.com.cn]

The first group of 55 novel coronavirus pneumonia patients was transferred to the newly built Optics Valley branch of Hubei's Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital on Feb 19, according to officials, in the wake of the hospital's breakneck conversion into a specialist care facility for the virus.

The new hospital is located in East Lake High-tech Development Zone -- also known as Optics Valley of China -- in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province and the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China.

Before the outbreak, the Optics Valley branch was a construction site with progress under way, with plans for it to be operational in May.

However, after receiving instructions on Feb 12 to convert it into a designated hospital to treat coronavirus sufferers, the zone urgently mobilized infrastructure and related facilities to fast track the facility.

Following the operational model of Huoshenshan Hospital, the hospital has a planned capacity of 700 beds and the 9th to 23rd floors of its main building are set aside as a clinical ward.

At present, two wards have started working, each of which can receive and treat 42 mild cases and 10 severe patients.

Under the guidance of military medics, the hospital will continue to fast track its construction and be ready to receive more confirmed patients, officials said.