To the editor,
The number of seriously ill patients admitted to our government hospital has increased steadily over the last few years, and overcrowding of the wards is now a common scenario. Some of this crowding is a result of the number of patients receiving care, health care professionals providing that care, and often, people visiting patients in the hospital. Overcrowding may affect patients' symptoms, clinical outcome, and satisfaction. It can also affect physician's effectiveness, causing frustration among medical staff. It may even contribute to violence on the wards.
Solving this problem requires a joint effort on the part of management, doctors, and society in general. I agree with Richards et al that unless the problem is solved in the near future, the general public may no longer be able to rely on hospitals providing high-quality and timely health care.1 Overcrowding will place an increasing economic burden on the hospital, leading to a shortage of hospital beds, delays in laboratory tests, and a shortage of nursing staff.1,2
The use of the emergency department for nonurgent health conditions is another contributory factor in overcrowding, and it has been the subject of considerable debate. Using the hospital emergency department for minor problems is inappropriate and expensive, and it may hamper the ability of physicians to give medical attention to those needing emergency care.3,4
Competing interests: None declared
References
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