Intramural and extramural functions of the hospital

ROLE OF HOSPITALS

The hospital organization is a peculiar organization in the sense as:

1. The output of the organization is not the product but service which is not always possible, to be quantified, so difficult to measure.
2. The demand is normally of emergent in nature and two situations are not alike.
3. The service is personalized, professional and directly provided by doctors, nurses and other technical and non-technical personnel.
4. The services provided by wide range of people from highly skilled professionals to the illiterate labor.
5. There is dual control by way of professional authority and executive authority.
6. In the changed scenario the hospital is being treated as an industry and for maximization of the profit.
7. The hospital has to prepare itself to the rising demand of medical tourism.
8. The hospitals have to prepare themselves for collaboration with other organizations. An example is, public-private partnership, so the hospitals have to update themselves in latest phenomenon of contractual system in health care.

The hospitals have following different roles in the society:

1.Care of the Sick

The basic responsibility of the hospital is to provide immediate care to the sick and injured and the first requirement is to provide accommodation in the hospital depending upon. 

1. Physical condition of the patient
2. Financial status
3. Availability

The patient needs to be admitted, based upon principles of progressive patient care in the wards, right patient on the right bed with right services available to him. The patients are given accommodation according to the severity of illness and need. The hospital should be able to provide proper diagnostic, therapeutic, support and utility services.

2.Role of Hospital in Primary Care

The hospital is a social and medical organization and has to provide primary care to the community as relevant. The hospitals play a very important role in promotion of health and prevention of diseases. The hospitals are involved in various activities like immunization, MCH and family planning, health education of patients and their relatives, establishment of well baby clinics, counseling sessions, provision of audio-visual aids for health promotion. The most important role of hospital in provision of primary health care is through the outreach programs. The consultants visit to primary care and secondary care hospitals based upon the philosophy of reaching to the people in their home environment. The hospitals provide referral services to the primary care hospitals.

3.Surveillance Centre

The surveillance means data collection for action. To keep a strict watch with great authority over the factors which are responsible for causation and spread of the disease. All those cases which are missed by the routine surveillance go to the hospitals and the hospitals can act as sentinel surveillance centres for detection, recording and reporting of such cases to the public health authorities.

4.Continuing Care of Patients

Regular follow up measures are taken by the hospitals for regular care of the patients.

5.Rehabilitation

Hospitals provide rehabilitation services through development of physiotherapy and occupational therapy units.

6.Education and Training

The hospitals provide support system for education and training of its staff. In addition to the award of degrees, diplomas and certificate courses, the hospitals also provide continuing medical education (CME) to the medical, nursing and para medical staff.

7.Research

Research is carried out on the physical, psychological and social aspects of the health and disease. Big clinical trials on drugs and methods of treatment can not be conducted without the active support and involvement of the hospital.

8.Medical Tourism

The treatment provided by hospitals in India is at par with developed countries but at the same time the treatment cost is much less and which has shown encouraging results for foreigners to visit India for availing treatment. The foreigners come to India as tourist, visit many places of their choice and also undergo treatment in some of the good hospitals. The combined cost of availing treatment and tourism is much less than the cost of treatment incurred in developed countries. The hospitals have to develop on the lines of five star hotels for providing amenities to patients and visitors. The hospitals will have to tie up with travel and tourism industries to attract more foreigners for availing treatment in India.

9.Contractual System in Hospitals

There is an increasing role of hospitals in partial or complete contracting with other agencies. The contracting may be in raising and commissioning of the hospitals, financing of the institutions, supply chain management, staffing of the hospitals, installation of equipments, rendering of sanitary services; housekeeping services, security services or management of the organization. The hospitals have to keep updated in legal aspects of contracting.

10.Productivity

The hospitals particularly the corporate hospitals have to work on the lines of industry. If it is to be viable, it has to be productive.

11.Telemedicine

The hospitals have to provide great support in the field of telemedicine and with the advancement of information technology and computers and robotics. This role will further expand in times of come.