Hospitals and healthcare facilities play an essential role in our lives. From the day we’re born, we’ve been utilising healthcare to keep our bodies well. Without healthcare in the picture, our lives would turn out differently. And obviously, that is not a reality anyone would dream of having.
Since healthcare is critical, hospitals and health facilities continuously strive to provide the best services. Along with technology development, the healthcare industry aims to develop and improve its services to be as convenient and reliable as possible. One of the ways they do this is through hospital expansions.
Many stakeholders decide to start a hospital construction project to meet their patients’ demands and to raise the bar for their healthcare service. But frankly, having an ongoing construction in a hospital where patients stay for months or even years can be complicated. The noise and air pollution that the project could cause may detriment patients’ health treatments.
But the truth is, it is a sacrifice that would benefit the hospital and its patients tremendously in the long run. Thankfully, there are mandates that a hospital could implement to make patients’ and workers’ experiences better. If you’re thinking about what those directives should be, this post is for you. Here are five things to mandate during a hospital construction project.
1 – Wearing a mask at all times in affected hospital areas.
During the last two years, mask-wearing has become a good habit of choice by many people across the globe. Because of it, many people find that they’re less likely to get sick and catch a cold, aside from the apparent reason, which is the coronavirus. Truthfully, using a surgical mask could save lives.
However, for patients in the hospital, using masks could be difficult, especially if they have a health condition. Now, what can we do? Instead of mandating patients with health conditions that find it hard to use a mask to wear one, it’s better to relocate them to another area. On the other hand, all employees and patients who can use one should always wear one, especially in areas near the construction site.
Daily mask-wearing would help prevent patients and medical workers from developing allergies and reactions to dust from the construction. Starting with this simple and tested mandate is a great way to keep everyone healthy and comfortable within the hospital premises.
2 – All hospital areas should have a scheduled cleaning during different times of the day to prevent infection risks.
Hospitals are places where hundreds to thousands of infections could spread instantly. And so it’s necessary and a must that hospitals should be kept clean and sanitised daily. However, during a construction project, this sanitation maintenance should not only be doubled but tripled.
With that, the hospital management should create a daily schedule of hospital cleaning at different times of the day. Since a construction project would go on throughout the day, the hospital would also keep accumulating dust. Cleaning the hospital once is not the best thing to do since many would come and go to the hospital throughout the day, along with the ongoing construction.
And so, to ensure that the hospital is clean and has a risk-free environment, scheduling various cleaning hours in a day should be mandated.
3 – Daily hospital inspections by the hospital project manager and project contractor.
In any construction project, the construction manager and certified operators inspect the project and equipment daily. Since the construction site is on a healthcare premise, it’s even more critical for respective managers to oversee the project daily. It would also be better if a hospital project manager could work with the project contractor simultaneously.
Doing so would help them coordinate efficiently and inform each other about updates regarding the hospital’s situation despite the ongoing project. It will be easier for them to troubleshoot and minimise risks that could affect the hospital’s operations as well as the stay of the patients.
4 – Weekly or monthly checking of electrical systems.
Another thing that the hospital should regularly inspect is its electrical systems. It is critical if a hospital plans to renovate a building where many patients stay. Of course, the contractors will review and map how the current electrical systems would work during the construction project. However, it’s also possible for the system to overload and starts causing fluctuations once the project begins.
With that, the hospital must schedule weekly or monthly electrical systems check-ups to avoid any of that from happening. Even though hospitals have power generators, continuous fluctuations could irritate and affect patients’ experience. It could also affect workers’ performance quality, leading to poor hospital service.
5 – Restricting patients and workers from accessing hazardous areas.
Last is to restrict patients and workers from accessing hazardous areas. Many hospital workers are guilty of still using hospital shortcuts despite ongoing construction for faster access. Obviously, every single medical worker in hospitals has a lot on their plate. And they’d appreciate it if they could attend to their work as fast as possible.
The thing is, continuing to access hazardous areas while construction is ongoing could put workers at risk. Their lives could be in danger, from minor dust infections to having an accident due to debris. Mandating this will ensure and protect hospitals from unwanted problems.
Implementing this will promote worry-free hospital operations despite ongoing construction. When patients see health professionals abiding by hospital directives diligently, it will be easier for them to follow.
Simple mandates produce massive, positive effects.
The five simple mandates I shared are simple and easy to follow. However, these simple directives have massive positive effects that will become evident once you continuously follow them. And since hospital projects are vital, having simple directions that people can follow will help promote seamless and more efficient operations despite the construction.
Written by Bianca Banda
