Creating green space to improve patient satisfaction and recovery is a trend in hospitals in Khanh Hoa Province...
Creating green space to improve patient satisfaction and recovery is a trend in hospitals in Khanh Hoa Province.
As most health care facilities at district and provincial levels are overloaded at present, patients’ long-time wait, beds packed closely together, etc make both patients and medical staff feel more stressful. Therefore, some hospitals in Khanh Hoa have brought green space to their settings to enhance psychological relaxation and stress alleviation. Good examples include Khanh Hoa Psychiatrics Hospital, Cam Ranh Hospital, Khanh Hoa General Hospital and Dien Khanh District Medical Center.
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Khanh Hoa Psychiatrics Hospital outstands with green space covered with plants and flowers from the entrance to the inside. The patient reception area is decorated with beautiful plants and flowers, creating relaxing and comfortable feelings for patients.
Exposure to green plants, green space and gardening is now recognized as an effective therapy for problems of mental health, helping patients to be more confident and able to do some farming work to support their families when back home.
Nguyen Anh Chuong, Vice-Director of Khanh Hoa Khanh Hoa Psychiatrics Hospital says the hospital is about 2ha, including 50% of building blocks and the rest for plants. Planting trees are encouraged and required in work evaluations. A patient named Tran Thi Minh Thong says, “I feel anxious about my disease. When waiting for examination here, I can go around, breathing in fresh air and looking at plants and flowers. I feel more comfortable and relaxed.”
Besides, green space at Dien Khanh District Medical Center is also remarkable. The center was built in 2007 on a treeless area of 2ha. After more than 10 years, the center has a shady outdoor landscape with lush trees, green grass and colorful flowers.
Between buildings is green space, about 4,000m2, covering some 20% with shady parks and lovely paths. This is also a comfortable waiting area for patients and their families, creating fresh and relaxing atmosphere for long-term inpatients, helping relieve boredom and add medical benefits.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Dieu Huong, Vice-Director of Dien Khanh Medical Center says the hospital has focused on creating green space with plants and flowers to provide shade and fresh air to reduce cross infection in the hospital, providing soothing environment for patients as well as medical staff to relax in at the end of a tiring work day.
Building green space in hospitals is an integral part of a modern health care system. This model should be expanded to achieve the goal of green, clean and beautiful hospital environment launched by the Ministry of Health.
Quynh Nga
Translated by N.T
