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
Q: We are a group of doctors planning a 80-bedded multispeciality hospital, and wanted to know the requirement of structural elements in safe (hazard preventive) building for a radiology department.
– Dr Dhananjay, Jodhpur
| Tarun Katiyar |
A: For a radiology department, design should be as per the radiation safety norms and approval of BARC. Structural elements’ requirements include:
- Flooring should be non-conductive
- Equipment size room for X-ray: 5 sq m x 4 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: Two metres above the ground and 1.5 metres above the 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 the 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
Q: What is the approximate area required for a 30-bedded hospital?
– Dr Kunal, Gujarat
A: Approximately 18,000 sq ft
Q: What kind of engineering support is required for mortuary designing?
– Dr Shankar, Hyderabad
A: The following support is needed:
- There should be adequate lighting (1500-2000 lux at mortuary table)
- 200-300 lux in the body storage/ autopsy room
- Ventilation/ exhaust system
- To get uninterrupted continuous power supply, alternate sources should be available
- AC chambers (3 sq m/body )
- Railing for sliding the trolleys in and out
- Humidity control and temp control (3.5 to 6.5 degree) with separate thermostat for every chamber – cold chambers as well as decomposed chambers
- Body storage room with refrigerated chambers, janitor closets, trolley bay, religion rise room, autopsy room, viewing room, change room, shower room and sluice room
Q: I am working with a multispecialty hospital, looking for proper space differentiation for the biomedical waste department at present we have a BMW department but we would like to know the proper differentiation
– Kamal, Administrator, Pune
A: Usually it’s differentiated into four major parts:
- Onsite waste storage
- The effluent treatment
- Space for hydroclave/ utoclave/ incinerator/ deep burial also called as a final disposal for outsourced
- Transportation of waste
Q: Are the space allocated for triage and casualty one and the same, or is a separate triage area required to segregate patients according to their criticality?
– Dr Pawar, Administrator, Raipur
A: Triage is a part of emergency department/ casualty and its need in casualty is very important. It differentiates the criticality of patients which help doctors and medical professionals to prioritise the patients’ and their need. Space allocations for the triage area is very important when number of cases need to be handled at the same time. (like bomb threat, earthquake, fire, major accident etc.)
Q: While designing the interiors of a dialysis room, are there any particular shade restrictions in its colouring?
– Jessy Q, Administrator, Bangalore
A: 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, which in turn might aggravate their stress and worry, hence it is not advisable. Opting for lighter shades that will maintain the perception of light and make the room space look larger is actually preferable.
Q: What area per sq ft is required for a nurse room or staff rest room in hospitals?
– Dr Jayant, Amravati
A: It varies depending on the staff capacity but still you can consider approximately 400 sq ft.
Q: To build a medical college, what are the basic requirements of accommodation in the medical college and its associated teaching hospitals?
– Dr Sane, Latur, Maharashtra
A: In a medical college few basic requirements include: Campus, administrative block, college council, central library, lecture theatre, auditorium and examination hall, central photographic section, central workshop, animal house, central incineration plant, gas plant, statistical unit, medical educational unit, research work, intercom network, playground and gymnasium, electricity, sanitation and water supply, laboratories, central research laboratory, training teachers in medical education unit, reception, enquiry office, store rooms, MRD linen room, committee room, registration department, statistical department, clinical departments in hospitals OPD and IPD, central sterilisation services, laundry services, central hospital pharmacy, central kitchen, central casualty, biomedical waste management department, staff quarters, hostels for students etc.
Q: If we are to start a low cost healthcare facility in any rural part of India, what considerations should one look into?
– Dr Prathap, Jabalpur
A: While looking at setting up a healthcare facility for rural India, first and foremost do a background check on their lifestyle and culture. Then, ensure what kind of facility you want to set up, and do a feasibility study on how the facility will serve that area of population. Then secondly look into your monetary requirements, and plan how you will raise the required amount. And finally, project a futuristic operation model on how financially sustainable and beneficial this will project be, both for you, and the people you will be rendering your service to.