Physical Condition of Hospitals

When was the last time you spent time in a hospital ward looking closely at the physical condition of the building?

Did you notice the chipping paint? The peeling wallpaper? The cracks in the floors? The stained ceiling tiles? The upholstery that was worn thin and so stained it can't be cleaned anymore? The blinds that are missing slats and won't open or close? The curtains that are worn and stained? The bed linens that are stained? The clutter of equipment in the hallways and rooms?

I notice these things every time I step into the hospital ward I work on. I do my best to make sure stained linen is changed before my patient ever goes near the bed. That stained curtains are taken down and replaced. But it is impossible to hide the deterioration of everything else.

The patients who are admitted to hospital are acutely ill or requiring some immediate intervention. Mothers are arriving to deliver their babies. The physical environment should be one of impeccable cleaniless and condition. Yet Canadian hospitals are often falling far short of this standard under the guise of fiscal restraint. Even if the money would be spent to restore the units, there isn't any place to physically put patients while the work is done.

Can a hospital defend its infection rate and care when it can't provide patients with an environment that promotes health and healing?