Housekeeping

Housekeeping services, also called environmental services are of paramount importance in providing a safe, clean, pleasant, orderly and functional environment for both patients and hospital personnel. A clean and hygienic environment has a tremendous psychological impact on the patients and visitors, which immediately sets for them the overall impression of the hospital. Since it is difficult for the lay people to judge the practice of medicine in the hospital. Because of their lack of medical knowledge, they often form their opinions about the hospital on the basis of its appearance and cleanliness. Good housekeeping is an asset and a powerful patient and public relations tool which has a direct bearing on the prestige and reputation of the hospital.

Consider two scenarios. In the first, the patient or visitor finds the floor and walls of the hospital refreshingly clean. He will naturally be pre-disposed to speak well of the hospital, thus adding to its good reputation. In the other scenario, a visitor finds the lobby dirty and untidy, and the wards smelling of offensive odours. He will immediately entertain doubts about the quality of care his loved ones may be receiving in the hospital. This is similar to the experience of a guest staying overnight in a dirty and untidy hotel. He will not return to it again, and may even tell others about the appalling conditions thus discouraging them from going there.

Good housekeeping is far more important to patients than many
of us are inclined to think, and for two good reasons. Firstly, the hospital is their temporary home for the duration of their stay. Secondly, knowingly or unknowingly, they are exposed to the risk of cross-contamination or hospital-acquired infections. Every patient has a right to be protected from the hospital-acquired infections and from germs brought into the environment by other patients, visitors and the hospital staff. The hospital may have the best doctors on its staff 'and the most modern equipment, but if its housekeeping is of poor quality it will overshadow the effect of all other things.

Maintaining a clean, dourly and sanitary hospital is important from the point of view of the economy as well. Properly maintained buildings have potentially longer and less expensive life while poorly maintained ones deteriorate fast and consequently prove more expensive in the long run.

Although the housekeeping department constitutes in a matter of speaking, an insignificant and the least glamorous department, its work sets the tone and contributes greatly to the overall efficiency of all other departments. A clean, attractive and odourly work environment enhances employee productivity, efficiency and morale. On the other hand, much work time will be lost in a store room, for example, which is disorganized, cluttered and chaotic.

In this part of this report we shall be looking at the organization, design and the functioning of the house keeping department.

We are using floor cleaning machines. We have floor 1. Swiping machine, 2. Floor scrubbing machine 3. B. R. 400 for polishing the floor and remove the stains 4. High pressure machine to clean the bathrooms. All these machines give good cleaning and save the manpower.

House keeping department setup floral garden to fulfill our daily requirement.

Functions

The department is responsible for performing a variety of tasks. The following are some of the common functions:

Daily cleaning

This includes sweeping and mopping floors, dusting furniture, cleaning fixtures, walls, ceilings, windows and bathrooms, emptying trash cans etc.

Periodic Cleaning

This includes -washing windows, waxing floors, cleaning carpets, dusting high ceilings and changing drapers.

Trash and garbage removal

Discharge cleaning

This includes cleaning patent room after discharge or transfer of a patient and readying it for another patient

Exterminating bugs and pests

Preventing spread of infect ion and ensuring conditions for good patient care

Arranging for different functions like CME, VIP visit and any functions or celebration in the hospital.

Keeping stock and providing all the required items to the various wards like, towels, patient dresses etc.