EMERGENCY UNIT

The emergency department of Kingston hospital is often the point of major public interest and is the most vulnerable to criticism. The reputation of a hospital rests to a very large measure on two important factors, i.e. the emergency & OPD. The sudden and unexpected nature of the emergency produces panic and psychological disturbance of relatives which must be appreciated and born in mind in the organization and management of services. The emergency department is primarily meant for the immediate medical attention and resuscitation of seriously ill patients. They should have priority over, less serious patients. All patients attending the emergency are to be registered after a quick preliminary assessment of the severity and urgency of their ailment by the Medical Officer on duty. This is particularly an important point; clerical work involving registration, etc. should never take priority over the urgent attention to the acutely ill patient. All particulars as per the standard format should be recorded in the emergency register. The emergency ticket should be clearly filled up for the name, age, sex, date, time, emergency registration number and clinical diagnosis clearly. A summary of all the relevant clinical findings along with the medical aid given, consultations and the progress of the patient is to be noted down on the emergency register (register should contain a clear description of treatment details) by the attending doctor(s) before he/she is admitted or discharged or referred to secondary or tertiary hospital.