Answer is Yes. Because it reduces the cost of delivering Healthcare.

In fact in Hospitals larger than 200 beds there should be at least 3 Building Blocks. IPD Block, OPD Block and Emergency & Critical care Block. Each one of them must have their respective core(s).

Only requirement is that these blocks must have all weather connections (For Hospital bed Movement) at preferably all levels but at least on every alternate level including Basements.

The IPD works as a custodian Institution and should have specific standards and requirements for facility provision, safety, security and functionality of its Occupants, especially Patients and Healthcare Providers. Once the Patient is admitted , comprehensive care has to be provided. The Medical Superintendent, who should be a Physician, has to be in charge. Depending upon the Hospital policy, rooming in may or may not be allowed, visitors have to be allowed – but their timings and movement can be regulated and the facilities to be provided can be limited within the IPD Block. (They can be provided with more facilities and longer stay in OPD Block or an independent block like Hospital Inn. No business visitors should be allowed. No offices are required for Medical staff other than a common Medical Staff Room which can be attached to a Sleeping Room with cubicles and attached toilet cum bath, for Doctors on Duty rather than having multiple Doctors Duty Rooms. The IPD must have its captive  Imaging Equipment and all Clinical Diagnostic Laboratoriesand at least one area for Laboratory Sample Collection, Coding, etc. These will also serve as back up to OPD facilities. t IPD shall have its full compliment of Clinical Support Areas. It will have only essential administrative support ares. All stores, archives and administrative offices, service areas, workshops etc. should be housed in OPD Block or a separate Block.

The OPD is a non custodian Institution and should have standards and requirements for facility provision, safety, security and functionality which are different than IPD. It will be governed by Law of Tort. Visitors are allowed all the time with free access to most of the areas. A non-physician Administrator can be in charge. All business visitors are allowed. All consultation rooms, offices as required for Medical staff, Administration and other functions can be located here. The OPD must have its captive  Imaging Equipment which will also serve as back up to IPD Imaging Equipment. OPD shall have all the Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, all Clinical Diagnostic Laboratories like Electro-physiology Lab, Uro-dynamic Lab, Holter Lab, etc., all day care units like Dialysis, Chemotherapy, Endoscopy, and its full compliment of Clinical Support Areas. It can have all stores, archives and administrative offices, service areas, workshops etc.

In large Hospitals, Emergency & Critical care Block is ideally an independent block with 2 – 3 Levels located with all weather connections to IPD & OPD but in smaller Hospitals, it can be located on Ground and First Floor of OPD Block.

It is my firm belief that Hospital must focus on their primary responsibility of Providing Healthcare. All Engineering Services must be planned and designed to support this focus. Therefore, we must provide reasonably well designed Engineering Services which do not require too much attention, maintenance and up-gradations for their normally accepted life. At the same time we must insure that Engineering Services are not over designed and consume precious resources.

For Healthcare Delivery and in terms of Technical Medicine provisions, we should try and provide state of art technology but for Engineering Services, we should be conservative and provide well tested, energy efficient services with a clear objective of deploying maximum 50% of Building Budget. (Rest 50% goes to civil works in building)

We should refrain from over specifying Engineering Services. FGI USA – Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities clearly states that actual user can always specify within limits his requirements of planning parameters. The main factor is easy maintenance, low noso comial infection rates and least amount of failure and down time so that healthcare provider can focus on delivering Healthcare.