Site Plan Assessment According to Ministry of Public Health Standards: Case Study of Community Hospitals in Central Region of Thailand

Abstract

One of the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH)’s policies is to standardize quality of health service system and healthcare facilities. MOPH sets quality standards and guidelines to develop the quality to be up to standard for the system and facilities for all levels of MOPH hospitals. This study aimed to assess the site planning and utility system of community hospitals according to MOPH standards and to study the problems and obstructions that caused the failure to meet the standards. Three community hospitals in the central region were selected as case studies. The site plans of three hospitals were assessed in 5 categories: zoning, circulation, building mass and space, open space and landscape, and utility system. The users of the hospital answered the questionnaire about space using. The administrators of the hospitals were interviewed about problems and obstructions in developing and using the site plan.

The assessment results showed that the quality of site plan of the case study hospitals did not meet the standards. The overall aspect assessment score of the 2 hospitals were at moderate level and of the 1 hospital was at low level. The average score in the category of circulation, and building mass and space were at low level. The results were corresponding to the opinion of the users said that they needed more sidewalk, parking area and outdoor recreation places. On the issue of problems and constraints, the findings revealed that the standards were declared after the hospitals were constructed so long and were not announced widely, there was lack of knowledge in site planning and physical management, inadequate supporting budgets. These problems and constraints caused the site plan of the hospitals did not meet the standards.