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Making Hospitals Better Places

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In this column last Saturday, we discussed how hospitals, which most citizen behold as morbid,  frightful places can be transformed into  pleasant , stress free, clean places, where people take care not only of the sick patients, but provide opportunities for the “healthy” attendants to check the staus of their health as well.  This could be your wish list from your hospital:
1.       The whole hospital environment becomes “health promoting”; for example a patient who comes with a minor skin problem also gets an opportunity to get his BP, blood sugar, weight checked and get gets to know if he is overweight or has a cardiac risk.
2.       While waiting for your doctor, you watch a glow screen or CCTV informing  about the benefits of taking the 3 shots of Hepatitis B vaccine, and are reminded to vaccinate your children and spouse as well.
3.       The hospital is spotlessly clean with no gun toting or paan-chewing goons. None of the hospital staff consumes tobacco, and colorful posters confront and remind you of the risk you run and confer to your family in continuing with your smoking habit or by remaining obese.
4.       The hospital respects your time: you do not have to wait long, as you have prior information of which doctor will meet you, when and for what, all sorted out through a telephone or e-mail helpline.
5.       The doctor is understanding and answers all your questions with clarity, backed by scientifc data. He is not affronted when asked how many such surgeries, he has performed, and their outcome and risks. He also seems, stragely for UP, willing to discuss alternative forms of treatment, and is, in fact, willing to suggest names of experts should you want a second opinion.
6.       The tests he advises are easy to book and undertake. Your blood sample is collected with disposable needles and syringes that are destroyed and discarded after use, and the results of the tests are accurate and arrive quickly. You could even ask how the laboratory maintains and ensures its standards.
7.       If you are an attendant of a sick admitted patient, you have a cafeteria where you can get a healthy meal, opportunities to meet the treating team for periodic updates and opportunities like a mediatation room or soothing music or counseling to help you tackle your own stress.
8.       If your relative is a diabetic for instance, your hospital teaches, trains and prepares you to test his blood sugar when he goes home, provides you a chart to record his sugar values and insulin doses, look out for signs of low or high sugar and an opportunity to contact and seek help when in trouble.
9.       For all this and more can be achieved only with community participation. Every responsible citizen of Lucknow should join in the “Friends of SGPGI” forum to provide his observations and suggesions. Did you know that SGPGI (www.healthpromotion.in) has been the pioneer in this endeavour in India? And you could play a crucial role in shaping your hospital?
As published in HT City ( Hindustan Times) dated 22 november, 2009.
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