ARCHITECTURAL RESPONSE TO EMERGENCY CARE IN THE DESIGN OF ABUJA GENERAL HOSPITAL
ARCHITECTURAL RESPONSE TO EMERGENCY CARE IN THE DESIGN OF ABUJA GENERAL HOSPITAL
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Date
2015-07
Authors
OLOCHE, MATTHEW OLOCHE
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Abstract
Emergency care has been a vital part of Public Health supporting any thriving society
for as long as hospital has been in existence. More than 960 years later, such influence
is still apparent and is regarded as the front gate demonstrating capacity and capability
of medical infrastructure in providing prompt and acute medical relief of threat to
health. Such capacity and capability is considered to have immense contribution when
delivered efficiently to reduction of needless and preventable deaths in General
Hospitals across the broad spectrum of public health and wellness. Contextualizing
this situation to the Nigerian Secondary health cannot be over-emphasized.
Four General Hospitals were visited as case studies across the six local government
area of the FCT, Abuja to investigate the current trend in Emergency care in General
Hospitals. The cases visited included Asokoro, Wuse, Kuje and Kwali General
Hospitals. Data from the aforementioned cases were collected via semi structured
interviews, unobtrusive observation and supported with literature review to improve
validation. The contents from the observation tool were analyzed ‘descriptively’ and
contents from the interview tool analyzed ‘interpretatively’. Results were presented
descriptively with charts, tables and plates. Result findings revealed key design
concepts aiding prompt delivery of emergency care as ‘Isolation’, ‘Decentralization’
and ‘Centralization’ and aided the development of a framework. The framework is
applied to General Hospital settings to reduce over dependence on centralized
circulation, lack of capacity to care for multiple emergency cases and distant
proximity/ non availability of vital units to and in emergency departments.
The framework is developed to assist architects, planners and Hospital management in
designs of General Hospitals with improved emergency care in emergency
departments with significant benefits to patients, donor agencies, staffs, visitors and
Hospital management.
The extent of the application of the framework is demonstrated in a design of an Abuja
General Hospital in Lugbe; a fast developing and densely populated suburban
settlement on the outskirts of Abuja town. Dense population, close proximity to the
town and the airport are important criteria to selection of Lugbe town in order to
attract patronage.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR
THE AWARD OFMASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURE
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY
ZARIA, NIGERIA
Keywords
ARCHITECTURAL RESPONSE,, EMERGENCY CARE,, DESIGN,, ABUJA GENERAL HOSPITAL,