The Environmental Health Condition of the New University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital
Keywords:
Patient safety, Environmental health condition, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port HarcourtAbstract
Background: The hospital plays a significant role in modern health care delivery.While it provides an avenue for the treatment of patients, it can also encourage the transmission of several disease agents. Environmental interventions are routinely used to make the hospital safe. This study examined the facilities at the permanent site of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), a 510 bed multi-specialist hospital in Port Harcourt, south-south Nigeria.
Method: The study was carried out using an assessment checklist originally developed by the WHO. Data collected include the quantity and quality of water provided for services in the hospital; the number, types and maintenance of the toilet facilities; the building design as it relates to ventilation; and the methods used in the hospital for the control of mosquitoes.
Results: The hospital was built on a marshy ground, and was heavily infested with mosquitoes. It needed 24, 776 liters of water daily for its services, which was provided from an underground source, though the water was not routinely disinfected. Although the hospital had an average of 5 toilets in its out-patient clinics, and one toilet for every 12.75 in-patients, open defecation was however not common, especially close to the in-patient wards. The in-patient wards had large windows, but the out-patient clinics had poor natural lighting with small windows and had to rely on massive air conditioning sets for ventilation.
Conclusion: The permanent site of the hospital had all the facilities required for the safety and comfort of clients and staff, but maintenance has been an expensive and difficult task. Technologies and designs which are suitable for the tropical environment, with hard-wearing, durable and culturally sensitive materials are hereby recommended for the design and building of public hospitals in Nigeria, in order to enhance the environmental health status of the hospitals.
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