Express Healthcare‘s interactive FAQ section titled – ‘Ask A Question’ addresses reader queries related to hospital planning and management. Industry expert Tarun Katiyar, Principal Consultant, Hospaccx India Systems, through his sound knowledge and experience, shares his insights and provide practical solutions to questions directed by Express Healthcare readers
Question: I am planning to set-up a 80-bedded multi-speciality hospital. I want to know the required structural elements in a safe (hazard preventive) building for a radiology department.
– Dr Sanjay, Jaipur
Answer: For a radiology department, the design should be as per the radiation safety norms and approval of BARC. Structural elements’ requirements also include:
- Flooring should be non-conductive.
- Equipment size room for X-ray: 5 sq m x4 sq m , CT scan -110 to 120 sq m, mammography : 15-20 sq m, nuclear image -110-120 sq m approximately
- Thickness of wall : 2 mm lead thickness
- Window : 2 m above the ground and 1.5 m above floor inside ,the partition between X ray room and control panel room should be of see through lead glass of at least 2 mm thickness
- Positioning of equipment: thickness of wall between X-ray and dark room should be at least 10 cm of brick /concrete
- Door should be radiation proof
- Beam should not be pointed towards entry door
Question: While designing the interiors of a dialysis room, are there any particular shade restrictions in its colouring?
– Viji, Admin Department, Chennai
Answer: Try to avoid yellow-coloured interiors or yellow light in a dialysis room, as it may make the skin appear yellow and jaundiced to the patients. This might aggravate their stress and worry, hence it is not advisable. Opting for lighter shades that will maintain the perception of light and makes the room look more spacious is actually preferable.
Question: What is the authorisation for 200-bed hospital’s ICU?
– Vivek, Pune
Answer: Authorisation: Hospitals having 200 or more beds are authorised an ICU on the following scale:
- It should not exceed two per cent of the total authorised beds.
- Beds in ICU should not be less than eight to justify its existence.
- Hospitals with a bed strength of 200-399 will draw excess of two per cent beds from acute medical and acute surgical wards.
Question: How important is it to facilitate comfort for the patient’s family members?
Answer: Nowdays, it is more important to provide comfort to the patients’ relatives than just to the patient, because generally the relatives have more complaints than patients. As per my observation the main reason behind this is that hospitals are charging high for their facilities and people are paying. So they want and expect everything to be perfect. Hence they become more demanding and complain when their expectations are not met. As a result, hospitals are also designing and giving more importance to value-added facilities for relatives of the patients.
Question: What are the facilities or conveniences that a person accompanying a patient can avail while waiting at the hospital?
Answer: As per my experience and observation, apart from basic infrastructure, need and value added facilities; we can provide facilities to the patients like:
- In-room registration facility
- Provide meal from the hospital
- Specialised attention
- Barber from the hospital
- Availability of medical staff, especially at the time of emergency
Facilities to the patients’ relatives include:
- A-la-carte menu
- Laundry facility
- Kids playing area (day-care types)
- Canteen
- Internet facility
- TV in the waiting area
- Library for relatives and visitors