Medical Room 101: The Importance of Primary Medical Care
No matter where we are, our well-being must always be a priority. Unforeseen situations, accidents, and mishaps can occur when you least expect them. To counter crises, as such, prompt emergency care becomes necessary. The requirement and importance of a medical room was recognized years ago. From ancient medical care in Egyptian temples to compact first aid and medical room services to large independent clinics in organizations, the structure of medical rooms has undergone many changes. However, the crux of immediate medical care remains the same – to save lives at the right time. A medical room is the initial place where an injured or sick person can get immediate care at their location. Offices, schools, airports, entertainment venues, public events, etc, have a medical room. A medical room is operated by healthcare professionals, i.e., nurses, doctors and sometimes trained first aid attendants.
Necessary Equipments for a Medical Room
A medical room must have some basic medical equipment for primary care like first aid supplies and kit, medical gloves, thermometer, blood pressure monitor, sterile wound care supplies, basic diagnostic tools like a stethoscope, reflex hammer etc. It should also contain a patient examination bed, oxygen supply and mask , IV, and an automated external defibrillator. Sometimes a medical room contains more advanced equipment like a crash cart with emergency medications and supplies, surgical instruments for minor procedures, nebulizer etc.
Importance of a Medical Room
- Immediate Assistance
A medical room provides immediate access to medical attention at the earliest. In case of sudden illnesses and minor injuries, a medical room can be beneficial in preventing more damage and risk to an individual’s health, and help in early detection and support until emergency service providers arrive.
- Basic Care
When a person is down with common illnesses like fever, headaches or migraine, sore throat, cough and cold, stomach aches, minor cramps and other infections, a medical room can provide symptomatic treatment, i.e., easing the symptoms alone. Medical room services come handy when there is an immediate and less severe medical need.
- Chronic Condition Management
A medical room is set up to look after the wellbeing of people in an organization. If an individual deals with any chronic health conditions like asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, or any other conditions, having designated medical room services at their organization can be of timely help in monitoring symptoms and treating with medication in times of distress.
- Safety and Security
Having a medical room in an organization supports safety and provides security to people. They can come into their place of work or educational institution without any
MEDICAL ROOM 101: THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIMARY MEDICAL CARE
anxiety regarding their overall health. The presence of a medical room provides peace of mind, patients receive emotional support and reassurance, thus improving the mental dimension of health.
- Screenings
Regular health assessments and screening such as vision/ hearing tests happen as part of activities of medical room services, having established a medical room. It is essential in discerning health problems at an early stage that can derail the life of a person. Having a dedicated medical service provider at hand can be useful as they can help in future referrals for treatment.
- Education and Promotion
A medical room in an organization serves as an educational center for all kinds of health education like basic health and hygiene practices, substance abuse prevention, nutrition, mental health education, sex education etc. Health practitioners conduct workshops and lead campaigns along with medical room services to promote wellness in the organization. Basic training is also provided in the medical room to educate people in case of emergencies.
- Advisory
Medical room services usually include primary care. Doctors in the organization’s medical room can provide knowledge, assistance and guidance as to where a person can get proper treatment (for extreme cases) from, apart from dealing with the existing diagnosis and improving the patient’s condition.
Medical room services are located at various places including corporate offices, schools, sports facilities, hotels and resorts, entertainment venues, at public events etc. There are many places that have a medical room in Mumbai. Let’s look into how medical rooms can provide essential care in these locations.
- Corporate offices are places where there is a heavy amount of work, and often the pressure can be a lot to take. Having a medical room in offices can provide emotional assistance along with the physical/diagnostic support. Wellness programs that are conducted by the members of the medical team not only help in educating the employees but also members of their family. The establishment of a medical room can help keep healthcare costs under control, improve employee productivity and increase attendance. Corporate parks have medical facilities to serve their employees. For example, a medical room in Mumbai corporate parks like the Bandra-Kurla Complex which consists of many offices.
- A medical room is often called a nurse’s office or a first aid room in schools. Schools are places where children move around and play, and often injure themselves. Hence a medical room becomes an absolute necessity. Moreover, some children have trouble in
MEDICAL ROOM 101: THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIMARY MEDICAL CARE
their homes, while some have strained relationships with their parents. Some have chronic health issues that need to be regularly monitored and in all such cases, medical room services can prove beneficial in providing an overall aid. Typically, all schools and universities have a medical room in Mumbai.
- Government buildings and Tourist attraction sites have first aid services nearby to handle any urgent emergencies. For instance, Gateway of India has a medical room in Mumbai.
- Sports facilities and arenas have medical rooms to provide care to sportspersons and treat injuries during events or practice. Since sports stadiums seat large numbers of people, there is a possibility of minor accidents and stampedes. Though most circumstances are well taken care of before it can lead to such severity, having medical room services for both players and spectators can be useful in case of emergencies. Stadiums like Wankhede, DY Patil, both have a medical room in Mumbai to assist with emergency medical aid.
- At hotels and resorts, slip and fall accidents are most common. Drowning mishaps and other water accidents, falls are also common. To provide immediate care to their guests, all hotels and resorts have a medical room established. Water Kingdom, Essel world, fun centers and amusement parks have a medical room in Mumbai established to monitor, prevent and deal with medical issues.
- Medical room services are also located at places of public events and entertainment venues where there is a gathering of many people. In such places, accidents are common. People get agitated or sometimes cause havoc because of intense excitement. It’s difficult to recognize who is getting hurt in the crowd but having immediate medical help is necessary to avoid damage. Popular event centers like NSCI Dome, NESCO Grounds each have a medical room in Mumbai to cater to emergencies during concerts, other large scale events and exhibitions.
- Medical rooms are located at malls, public places like some transportation centers or recreational facilities. Malls like Phoenix Marketcity, Inorbit, R City, Oberoi have a medical room in Mumbai.
- Airports are equipped with medical rooms to handle passenger’s medical issues. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport has medical facilities. Each medical room in Mumbai at the airport is well equipped to provide 24/7 services.
- There are medical centers in railway stations as well. Major railway stations like the CSMT and some others in the suburban railway have a medical room in Mumbai to deal with emergencies.
MEDICAL ROOM 101: THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIMARY MEDICAL CARE
Healthy individuals are the ones that sustain in the race of life. As mentioned in the beginning of the blog, health should be the number one priority. The existence of a medical room at an organization reflects the commitment that the owners have towards people’s well being. To foster a healthy environment where people can thrive, primary medical care is a must.