Departments in Hospital

There are several departments are found in hospitals namely

Outpatient department (OPD), Inpatient Service (IP), Medical
Department, Nursing Department, Paramedical Department,
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Operation
Theatre Complex (OT), Pharmacy Department, Radiology
Department (X-ray), Dietary Department, Non-professional
Services (Business Management), Medical Record Department
(MRD) and Personnel Department.

Outpatient Department (OPD)

Most hospitals now have an OPD. The advantage of OPD is

that much of the investigative unit and curative work can be
done there without admitting the client, thus curtailing
medical expenses.

The scope of OPD includes the following:

1. Consultation, investigation, procedures, specialty services.

2. Preventive and promotive health care: Clinics, which

include: diabetic, antenatal, postnasal and under five.
3. Rehabilitation services (physiotherapy, occupational
therapy etc)

4. Health education

5. Counseling
PHARMACOLOGY DRUG NOTES CLICK HERE
LOCATION

1. OPD should be located at the entrance of the hospital

2. Should be separate from inpatient area connected to it

3. Must have easy access to MRD, X-ray, laboratory, pharmacy

and billing counter

4. Preferably accessible to causality, but separated from

casualty

FACILITIES

The OPD should have the following facilities:

1. Entrance-easily accessible with ramp, steps and wide door.

2. Flooring-tiled with a slope towards outlet

3. Reception/enquiry

4. Waiting hall

5. Consulting rooms

6. Signboards and layout plan

7. Bay for trolleys and wheelchairs

8. Toilet-separate for males and females

9. Public telephone

10. Board indicating names of consultants on leave

Types of Clients in OPD

Emergency cases

Referred cases from doctors outside and in-house

Direct OP cases

OPD is the first point of contact in the hospital and so the best
impression should be given.

Flow Pattern of Clients in OPD

Enquiry – Registration – Waiting Hall – Consultation room –

Investigation facilities – Pharmacy – Exit

Usual Problems in OPD

Lack of punctuality in starting OPD

Lack of appointment system

Missing files
Non-availability of laboratory results

Lack of physical facilities

Proper co-ordination under expert supervision and guidance

can go a long way to solve these problems.

Inpatient Service (IP)

If OPD is the show window of the hospital, the IP is the heart

of the hospital. The IP service provides lodging, diet and
medical care. Conveniently, it can be divided into:

Wards and rooms

Nurses station

Dietary services

Sanitary facilities and other requirements

Ward can be

Intensive Care Wards (ICU)

Intermediate Care Wards

Isolation Wards
Medical Department

The medical department has within it the various clinical

services. They are: medicine, surgery, gynaecology, obstetrics,
paediatrics, eye, ENT, dental, orthopaedics, neurology,
cardiology, psychiatry, skin, V.D., plastic surgery, nuclear
medicine, infectious disease etc. medical superintendent is a
doctor who has control over all medical department.

Nursing Department

The nursing department is the organizational structure

through which nurses provide nursing care for clients under
the jurisdiction of the institution. The nursing department
consists of nursing service and nursing education. The
primary purpose of the nursing service is to provide
comprehensive, safe, effective and well-organized nursing
care through the personnel of the department. The personnel
consists of nursing superintendent, assistant nursing
superintendents, head nurses and staff nurses. All of these
are registered nurses, other personnel who function in the
nursing service department may include the auxiliary
personnel nurse aids and domestics who handle the non-
nursing services.

The nursing education section has the responsibility of

preparing nursing students to become professional nurses.
Uplifting the standard of nursing by inservice education and
refresher courses etc., are included in the functions of this
department. The personnel consists of principal or director of
nursing education, the associate professors, assistant
professors, tutors and clinical instructors.

Paramedical Departments

Paramedical departments are adjunctive to the practice of

medicine in the maintenance or restoration of health and
normal functioning. They include:

Pathology Department

The following laboratories are usually found in the pathology

department:

1. Bacteriology laboratory: This laboratory studies about the

bacteria and their toxins.

2. Biochemistry : this is concerned with the chemistry of living

organisms and of vital process.

3. Haematology laboratory : it is responsible for making

haemoglobin determinations, coagulation time studies, red
and white cell counts and special blood pathology studies for
anaemia and leukaemia etc.

4. Parasitology laboratory: it studies the presence of parasites,

the cyst and ovas of the parasites that are found in the faeces.

5. Serology laboratory: it does blood agglutination tests,

Wassermann tests, V.D.R.L. etc.
6. Blood bank: it has the responsibility for collecting and
processing all blood used in the hospital for transfusions. It
makes studies on newborn infants who may have haemolytic
diseases and does antibody studies on the prenatal client.

7. Histopathology department: it prepares tissues for gross

and microscopic studies.

Laboratory services (LAB) must be available day and night.

Must be located on the ground floor and should be easily
accessible to the outpatients. Space requirement of Lab is:

Primary space: Required for technical work.

Secondary space: space utilized for administrative purpose.

Circulation space: for unchattered movement of personnel

and equipment.

There should be sufficient staff and work arrangement for the

efficient functioning of the department.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department

This department deals with clients who have functional

disabilities resulting from disease conditions/injuries. This
department can have physiotherapy, occupational therapy,
speech therapy and vocational training. This department will
be under the direction of a well – qualified physician who has
special training in the field of physical medicine and
rehabilitation. His staff should include therapists with
qualification in the various specialties.
Operation Theatre Complex (OT)

This consists of one or more operation theatres and other

facilities. OT complex must be located in a place where there
is easy and quick access to the delivery suite. These should be
four zone – outer zone, clean zone, sterile zone, disposal zone.
There should be a sterilization room with an autoclave. The
number of OT depends on many factors. There should be an
arrangement for good lighting and ventilation.

Delivery suite is the place where births take place. The

delivery suite is divided into three zones are first stage room,
second stage room, delivery room. The room should have
good lighting and ventilation. It should have adequate
number of staff.

Pharmacy Department

Pharmacy is a crucial factor in medical factor. It should be

planned and organized well. The pharmacy department has
the responsibility for selecting purchasing, compounding,
storing and dispensing all drugs and medications. The
pharmacy should be under the supervision of a registered
pharmacist.

Radiology Department (X-ray Department)

The department must be located in a place where there is
easy accessibility for OP and IP clients. Of the total space, the
distribution for various rooms is as follows:

X-ray rooms: 25%

Film processing: 10%

Administration: 30%

Waiting area: 5%

Circulation area: 30%

Sufficient number of staff should be available. Staff must be

protected against radiation hazards. This department has the
following services.

Radiographic examinations and their interpretations

X-ray, radium, radioactive cobalt and other radioactive

therapy

Ultrasonography, Echocardiogram, C.T. Scan, MRI and ECG.

Dietary Department

The dietary department has the responsibility for the food

service to the client according to their needs and doctor’s
prescription. This department is responsible for the health
teaching in regard to proper diet of the client upon their
discharge from the hospital.

Non-Professional Services (Business Management)

Admitting Department

The admitting department has the responsibility for admitting

the client to the hospital. The importance of this department
lies in the public relation that is maintained.

The client, his family and his friends must be treated with
utmost respect, courtesy and tact. The enquiries made about
the hospital and other clients are to be answered
appropriately.

Administration

The administration of the entire hospital cannot be vested on

the administrator alone. It is a collective responsibility of a
group of people. The administrative staff, depending upon the
size of the hospital, is composed of the administrator, the
assistant administrator, the business manager and the
departmental heads.

Purchasing Department
The purchasing department has the responsibility for
purchasing all supplies and equipments for the hospital.

Accounts (Business Office)

This department has the responsibility for collecting the

money which is owed to the hospital, paying for the supplies
and equipment, handling all records pertaining to hospital
finance, keeping records of assets and liabilities and assisting
with budget. The business manager is responsible for the
functions of the department. The accountants help him.

Housekeeping

The housekeeping department has one main function – to

keep the hospital clean.

Laundry

The laundry takes care of the entire team linen of the

hospital. It has the following functions:

Washing the dirty linen

Repairing the torn linen

Replacing the condemned linen

Mechanical Department
Electricity, water supply, heat, air-conditioning etc., are
looked after by the mechanical department.

Maintenance Department

The maintenance department keeps the hospital in a good

state of repair. Carpenters, painters, welders, gardeners etc.,
are included in the personnel of this department.

Central Supply Department

The purpose of the central supply department is to prepare

and furnish other departments with equipment and supplies
needed in the client care e.g. syringes, needles, treatment
trays.

Social Service

The social service department assists in obtaining financial

aid for clients and their families. This department services
also as a liaison between the client and community agencies.

Pastoral Care

Under the leadership of the chaplain, the pastoral care team

meets the spiritual needs of the client.

Some departments function as a part of other departments

already mentioned, e.g., the operating room functions as part
of the department of surgery. The outpatient department is a
combination of several departments. The emergency room
functions along with the department of medicine. Sometimes
according to the load of client care, the services may be given
in special department such as intensive care, immediate care,
and ambulatory care units.

Hospital Waste Management

It is newly set department which takes care of the disposal of

the entire waste both solid and liquid.

Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD)

This is important department which supplies sterile articles

throughout the hospital. CSSD handles contaminated, clean
and sterile articles.

Work flow in CSSD: Receiving – Washing – Drying – Accounting

– Sorting – Packing – Sterilization – Sterile storage – Issue. The
articles should move in one direction from receipt to issue.
The location should be such that the wards and departments
can have easy access.

Medical Record Department (MRD)

This is an integral part of every modern hospital. The guiding

principle is “people forget, records remember.” Functionally
the MRD is divided into (1) Reception (2) Medical Records
Library (3) Statistical Section.

Weeding out of clients file, is done in successive years.

OP Records: 5 years.

IP Records: 10 years.

Medicolegal Records: 15 years.

Now with computerization the files can be entered into the

computer and can be utilized when required.

Every health care facility should have arrangement for

handling medicolegal cases. The hospital administration, as
well as the doctors, nurses and other staff members should be
made aware of the legal implications involved in the client’s
care, so that lot of problems can be avoided.

Personnel Department

This department in the hospital must be well versed with law

of the land especially the labour laws and is responsible for
recruitment, selection, promotion, transfer, termination etc.
The personnel department functions under the personnel
officer who is qualified in the personnel administration. The
personnel department has the following functions, directed to
the welfare of the personnel.

Recruitment of personnel

Interviewing prospective employees

Promotion and transfer of employees

Termination of employment

Inservice training programme

Remuneration and incentives

Safety

Health programme

Recreation

ORGANIZATION

Organization of each hospital varies according to the

ownership and administration. The governing body of the
hospital which is usually called board of trustees is
responsible for the policies of the institution. Under the
governing body there is a head of the hospital, who is
administrator or director.

It is impossible for the administration to carry out the total

work involved in the hospital management. Therefore, the
responsibility is delegated to the departmental heads who are
specialists in their field.