Mumbai: KEM students help patients navigate through the hospital

Mumbai: Till now, the resident doctors have come under flak for striking and ignoring patients to press for their cause. For the first time, the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students of the King Edward Memorial (KEM) medical college turned into architects as they designed navigation maps in various colours to help needy patients reach the exact location within the hospital without getting harassed.

The dean of the KEM hospital said the students have taken efforts to reduce the chaos amongst the patients visiting the biggest civic-run hospitals who often complain of getting confused in finding the relevant departments.

“The first map was installed at the hospital premises but by Wednesday, 21 more such maps in regional language would be pillared across the premises. on March 28. The students had donated money for making the navigation maps,” said Dean of KEM hospital Dr. Avinash Supe.

The students said hospital witness more than 8,000 footfalls of patients every day on an average. They also receive patients from neighbouring states and far-off districts who are unaware of the various departments of the hospital who keep running from one place to another unaware of the concerned sector. This often leads to chaos and confusion, especially during any medical crisis or accidents. In fact, during the fire safety audit, patients had also complaints how lack of proper identification marks make them keep roaming in the premises aimless.

You must have seen navigation maps on each floor of shopping malls which provides direction of stores. Similarly, taking inspiration from it, they are also designing, navigation maps for each building which would be posted at entrances.

The general secretary of the medical college said when people visit shopping malls there are navigation maps on each floor which guide them to reach the exact store, Similarly, they got the idea from there for designing navigation maps for each building which would be posted at the entrance.

“The patients who come are extremely poor who can not even read so, we have designed the map according to colour-code. For the building where patients would be admitted have been coloured blue. Similarly, for food-serving areas, it has been painted in pink. This would help the patients to identify the departments,” said Dr Swastika Lamture, final year undergraduate student and general secretary of the medical college. She added that they are also designing navigation maps with simple graphics which will be put up on each floor of the hospital.