Vastu Hospital

In ancient India, medical science had achieved a remarkable level of proficiency. Ayurveda dealt with the structures of the body, its organs, muscles, and tissues, and placed great importance on cleanliness, sanitation, diet, and self-discipline. Coming to the modern era, the question is why hospitals are needed at all. A hospital exists to provide people with health care, both preventive and curative, and it offers this service most effectively when its staff work hard to cure disease, restore health, and relieve illness.

Planning a hospital starts with choosing the right site. The location should first of all be close to a main road, so that the hospital is easily accessible. The north-eastern side is the best position for a hospital, though a north-facing or east-facing site is also good enough if a true corner plot is not available.

A west-facing site is preferable to a south-facing one.

If a south-facing site is not available, Vastu principles can be applied judiciously to bring the site into the necessary balance. A plot where all sides are equal is considered ideal. The five primary elements — water, space, air, fire, and earth — are best balanced when the site is square in shape. If you choose a rectangular plot instead, its length should not be more than twice its breadth.

Parking should be provided on the northern or eastern side of the hospital. The stairs should be located in the western, south-western, or north-western portion of the building, and the enquiry counter should be positioned on the south-eastern side.

The floor should slope toward the northern side. Any electronic equipment, including the X-ray room, should be placed on the western side of the hospital or against the western wall of a room.

The entrance gate should be on either the eastern or the north-eastern side of the hospital. The operation theatre should be located on the western side, with the patient's head positioned toward the south, and the doctor should operate while facing east.

The emergency room should be on the north-western side of the hospital, and the waiting room should be placed in the southern part of the building.

The water reservoir and drinking water area should be kept on the north-eastern side of the hospital.

The cash counter should be located on the southern or western side of the hospital and should face north or east. Bathrooms should be positioned on the north-western side of the hospital.

Medicine shops should be placed in the southern or western part of the hospital. Patients' rooms should be on the southern and north-western sides. Patient examinations should be carried out in a room on the northern side, with the doctor facing east or north.

The third floor may house the conference room, fitted with a closed-circuit television network for watching live operations. Incinerators used for disposing of waste and infected material should be kept on the south-western side. The toilet may be located in the northern sector, and the southern section can be strengthened with a rock garden, with its slope directed toward the north or east.