Emergency Services Efficiency at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background : An emergency department is a medical treatment facility which is specialized emergency medicine, the acute care of patients who present without any prior appointment either by their own means or by that of an ambulance. Objective: To determine the efficiency of emergency services in a tertiary care hospital. Methodology : It was a cross sectional study, conducted at Emergency Department of Sheikh Zayed Medical College/Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan, from August to October, 2019. A total of 139 subjects who were patients attending emergency department were involved in the study by using random sampling technique. Data was collected by a pre-designed proforma. Variables included were age, sex, occupation, door to treatment time, presenting complaints of patient, designation of health care provider, further investigation advised, given treatment, referral to OPD or ward. Results: Mean age of patients was 33±19 years. Out of 139 patients, 59.7% were males and from urban area each, 44.6% were illiterate, 75% of the study subjects were treated by a doctor, and 25.9% came with GIT complaints. It was noted that 48.2 % of the patients had the first contact within 4 minutes, and treatment of 49.7% patients was started within 10 minutes, and 3.5% of the patients it took more than 25 minutes. Conclusion : This study showed that almost half of the patients received treatment within four minutes while few of the patients have to wait for upto twenty five  minutes to get healthcare, which is quite a long time as for as emergency healthcare services is concerned., additionally only half of the patients were received by doctors.