Hospital buildings and equipment account for almost 90% of the capital investment which may be of the order of rupees 5 to 15 million per bed depending upon the location of the hospital and the level of sophistication (equipment).
Any major damage to buildings or equipment may impose a triple burden on the hospital in terms of the heavy cost of repairs, loss of income during the period and adverse effect on the patient care.
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Management of any good hospital would be prudent enough to take all appropriate measure to safeguard and maintain them in the best operational condition, such as:
1. Maintenance of an inventory of all the assets, including building and equipment and vehicles along with all the details such as year and cost of construction, the yearly expenditure on its maintenance, the annual depreciation, etc. (in r/o buildings) and the inventory of all the equipment and vehicles.
2. Log book in r/o every unit of every equipment/vehicle containing the date, cost of purchase, the supplier, the warranty period, maintenance contract, annual expenditure on the equipment, the depreciation the down time and details of utilization.
3. A documented planned program of half yearly survey and maintenance of all the buildings.
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4. A documented program of planned preventive maintenance and break down repairs of all the units of all the equipment held on charge of the hospital.
5. Detailing by name the individuals responsible for maintenance and upkeep of every asset (building/equipment) and accountable for any damage.
6. Having a safety management committee to survey and monitor the safety of facility and all equipment so that timely preventive actions can be taken.
7. Having an equipment management/audit committee to audit and monitor the functioning and utilization of all the equipment held on charge.
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8. Periodic condemnation boards for condemning/disposal of all the equipment that is unreliable and beyond economical repairs.
9. Ensuring safe electrical installations, cabling, connections, switches and sockets.
10. Ensuring an effective lightening conductor system for the buildings.
11. Ensuring implementation of all fire safety precautions.
12. Insurance cover for all buildings and equipment.