What is a hospital?
A hospital is a health facility whereby people receive treatment for various illnesses that they are suffering. Traditionally, hospitals care for ill and injured people (Mitchell & Haroun 2012). Hospitals may operate for profit or non-profit reasons. The government funds most of hospitals in the world, whereby patients receive free treatment and medicine. There are also hospitals owned by individuals. These are hospitals privately owned whereby patients have to pay for treatment and medicine. Most of these hospitals operate for the basis of making profits. There are different types of hospitals in the world. These include general, district, specialized, teaching hospitals and clinics. Teaching hospitals offer treatment services to patients and teaching to students studying medicine. These teaching hospitals have links to medical schools and universities. Clinics are often small. Agencies owned b governments usually run them. Specialized hospitals are for specialized needs such as psychiatry, trauma and rehabilitation.
Services offered in a hospital
There are various types of services offered in a hospital. Hospitals offer inpatient services whereby the hospital needs to treat a patient for more than one day. The hospital, therefore, offers a bed in which the patient occupies. The hospital can also offer outpatient services whereby a patient receives treatment but does not need to spend the night at the hospital. There are specialized hospitals that offer specialized services such as dental, throat, nose and ear services. These specialized hospitals only offer services that they are set up to offer.
Hospitals offer trauma services whereby patients diagnosed with trauma receive treatment and care. These hospitals should be well equipped. Dakota Mitchell states, “specific criteria must be met to qualify as a trauma centre, such as having certain sophisticated diagnostic equipment and trauma surgeons available.”(Mitchell & Haroun p. 47). There are also emergency services patients who need immediate attention. These patients receive quick attention whereby doctors cater for them. These patients include those that have suffered heart failure or have been in an accident.
Hospitals offer intensive care services. Intensive care is for patients who require close and continuous care. These patients also include patients suffering from serious illnesses and heart attacks. The CCU (cardiac care unit) offers cardiac care services for patients with severe heart conditions (Mitchell & Haroun 2012). Some hospitals offer maternal services where pregnant patients deliver their babies. Services in these hospitals include antenatal, perinatal and postnatal care. Most hospitals have laboratories where doctors test blood and urine samples to determine the ailment that a patient is suffering.
There are counseling services in hospitals. These services are for those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS or those that have come from a rehabilitation centre. Counseling services are mandatory in every hospital since they give hope for patients and in turn speed up recovery. Other hospitals offer catering and mortuary services. Rehabilitation services are also common in some hospitals. According to Mitchell & Haroun (2012), in rehabilitation treatments offered are orthopedic, neurological and musculoskeletal. The main purpose for these services is to ensure that patients that suffer from these conditions regain a normal functioning of their body organs. Some other services offered are psychiatric. Psychiatrists treat patients with behavioral disorders and counseling. These services enable patients to regain sanity and become functional members in the society.
References
Mitchell, D., & Haroun, L. (2012). Introduction to health care. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar, Cengage Learning.
