THE CASE FOR BUILDING RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES (SARAIS') FOR PATIENT VISITORS. IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

Abstract

Objective:

To gather the opinion of attendants accompanying admitted patients in CMH Lahore about their satisfaction with existing eating and sleeping arrangements.

Study Design: Cross sectional survey.

Place and Duration of Study: Combined Military Hospital Lahore Pakistan, from Jul to Aug 2016.

Material and Methods:

For this descriptive observational study attendants of patients admitted in the hospital for more than 24 hours were administered a questionnaire. Only one family member per patient was surveyed.

Results:

Three hundred attendants were interviewed for the study of which 162 were males. One hundred and twenty eight 128 (42.7%) came from within the city. One hundred and eighty seven (62.3%) intended to stay with the patients till the time they were discharged. A total of 185 (61.7%) patients had only one attendant whereas 59 (19%) of patients had no attendants available. Two hundred and thirty one (77%) attendants were blood relatives. The hospital canteen served food to 140 (46.7%) attendants. Only 25 (4.3%) attendants were satisfied with their existing eating arrangements. One hundred and seventy eight (59.3%) of attendants slept inside the hospital wards whereas 54 (18%) slept within hospital premises. One third of them were satisfied with their sleeping arrangements whereas the remaining desired more comfortable residential facilities or „Sarais‟ which were affiliated with the hospital. Sixty four (52%) attendants experienced difficulties in affording their boarding and lodging expenses.

Conclusion:

Patients and families bear the emotional and financial cost of illness. Findings suggest that attendants are not satisfied with their existing sleeping.