A superspecialty hospital is a place where each one of us has been to, even before qualifying as a doctor; we were received in this place as tiny ones. Doesn’t this make a hospital the most important requirement in a human population? A super specialty hospital focuses on the treatment of specific illnesses. The quality and safety regulations follow the accreditation standards of National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH). The approval by International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua) gives credibility to the NABH standards to be compatible with global benchmarks. Accreditation by ISQua had been granted to hospitals of 11 countries so far. The 12th country to join this group is India.1
The basic requirements for a super specialty hospital are listed below:
In this article
Building
A) Location:
- The building should be in close proximity to a populated area and easily accessible especially during emergencies
- The area should be large enough to accommodate all facilities
B) Permits:
- Legal formalities regarding licenses and NOCs should be thoroughly completed
- Permits for land, construction, water, fire, electricity, waste disposal and other local permits from local authorities should be obtained in renewed time to time.
C) Sewerage and sanitation:
- A well planned sewage system and disposal of biomedical and other waste for a clean vicinity
Advisors and Consultants
A) Finances:
- A huge amount of investment goes into making a super specialty hospital which will be handled best by an experienced financial advisor.
B) Engineers and Architects:
- Professionals to plan safe and strong designs in terms of construction and facilities
- Adequate staff rooms, wash rooms, inpatient and outpatient departments, with provision for addition of future facilities should be planned
C) Electricity:
- A 24-hour electric supply is mandatory for uninterrupted functioning of a super specialty hospital
D) Water supply and plumbing:
- Proper provisions as well as permission for non-stop water supply is a must for the working of a super spsecialty hospital
- A planned and good quality plumbing becomes necessary to maintain a hygienic environment
E) Fire
- The safety of the patients and the staff is the responsibility of the hospital authorities and hence a fire NOC is indispensable
- Thorough measures for fire prevention and control should be taken
Infrastructure:
A) Medical Equipments:
- Another mammoth task is the procurement of authentic and reliable medical equipments for operation theatres, laboratories, and inpatient department from certified manufacturers
- Usually, having a single vendor helps cut down the costs
B) Rooms:
- The diagnostic rooms, consulting rooms, waiting areas, in patient rooms have to be well equipped with required furniture and accessories
C) Pharmacy:
- A centrally located and well equipped pharmacy is a must
- A 24-hour supply of authentic and adequate medicines should be ensured
Interiors
A) Reception and Waiting area:
- A welcoming and comforting atmosphere to greet the patient and family members and ease them mentally is essential
- Appropriate surfaces, flooring, ceilings should be put in place to avoid dirt attracting corners
B) Rooms:
- The patient’s rooms, consulting rooms, labs all should be designed such that they have access to broad daylight
- A view of the nature or photo murals of natural sceneries are very comforting to the mind and do well to ease stress
Staff
A) Consultants:
- A well qualified panel of doctors brings name and patient inflow to the hospital.
- Legally licensed professionals help build reputation
B) Resident medical officers:
- A super specialty hospital requires round-the-clock doctors to attend to in-patients and emergencies
- Well qualified medical officers with a license to practice and adequate experience in managing patients on behalf of the consultants are a must
C) Nursing staff:
- A well taken case history is half the battle won. A well trained nursing staff makes the patient comfortable and attends to all needs, especially those who are admitted to the hospital.
D) Technicians:
- It is very important to have technicians in the lab, operation theatres, diagnostic rooms who are licensed, professional and skilful.
The making of a super specialty hospital is a huge responsibility, but is a lucrative business opportunity as well, in demand by patients as well as consultants. With a drop in the number of general practitioners and increased use of emergency facilities, numerous super specialty hospitals are mushrooming all over the country2. A good design for a hospital is one that integrates functional requirements keeping in mind human needs. A super specialty hospital should be thoroughly equipped yet make a patient feel at home with warm aesthetics and compassionate personnel.
Contributed by Dr. Rachita Narsaria, MD
References: