Define Hospital : 

Define : Hospital is a combination of many processes. To the community it is a place to receive medical care, to the physician it is a place to treat patients, to the employees it is a place of work, and to the hospital manager it is a multifaceted organization.

Functions of hospitals:

1) Restorative or curative:

• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Rehabilitation.
• Emergency care

2) Prevention of diseases and promotion of health:

• Management of pregnancy and childbirth
• Immunization
• Control of communicable and non-communicable diseases and accidents.
• Health education.

3) Education and research :

• Education and training of medical students, nurses and other paramedical stuff.
• Biomedical and health services research.

4) Professional support: Professional support to medical practitioners at stipulated cost.

5) Part of primary health care : 

• Provide support to PHC
• Promote community health development action.
• Provide basic and continuing education to PHC workers.
• Conduct research on PHC.

Classification of hospital:

1) According to patient care :

• General hospitals.
• Special hospitals: e.g. hospitals for internal medicine, neurology, cardiovascular disease, chest disease, urology, children diseases, cancer, leprosy, infectious diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, eye, ENT etc.

2) According to ownership and control:

• Government hospitals: Teaching hospital, district hospital, upazila health complex, military hospital, police hospital, railway hospital, port hospital etc.
• Semi-government hospitals : Municipal hospital, cantonment board hospital.
• Private or NGO hospitals : Red Crescent or Red Cross hospital, church hospital, private medical college hospitals etc.

Services delivered by hospital:

General administration :  Financial, personnel, material.

Clinical and nursing services:

• In-patient, out-patient, emergency and casualty.
• Operation theatre
• ICU (intensive care unit), CCU (coronary care unit).
• Nursing

Supportive services:

1. Clinical laboratory.
2. Radiology & imaging
3. Nuclear medicine.
4. Blood bank
5. Store and pharmacy
6. Central sterile supply services
7. Medical records
8. Physical medicine.
9. Medical social welfare

Utility services:

• Dietary
• Laundry and linen
• Housekeeping
• Communication.
• Transportation Public relation and security

Role of hospital in primary health care :

Hospital and primary health care services are two interrelate equally necessary parts of a truly comprehensive system of health care provision; neither can operate properly without the other.

The roles hospital can play are:

• Provide support to PHC
• Promote community health development action.
• Provide basic and continuing education to PHC workers.
• Conduct research on PHC.

Duties & responsibilities of UH&FPO/UHFPO/TH&FPO:

1. To be responsible for technical & administrative supervision of health activities at the Thana le- & below.
2. To be the controlling officer in respect of officers & staff of health division.
3. To be responsible for the management, administration and maintenance of the Thana health complex
4. To be responsible for all training activities of health division
5. To allocate duties amongst the medical officers regarding clinical activities and technical supervision of health program
6. To allocate duties and responsibilities among field workers.
7. To ensure maintenance of necessary information and statuettes is the Thana health complex and send necessary reports and returns to higher authorities.
8. To visit the unions & villages to acquaint himself with the problem and achievement of health programs.
9. To be responsible for timely procurement, distribution and proper utilization of stores (S & E)
10. To work in co-operation and collaboration with the concerned officers or agencies of the government & non-government organizations.
11. To be responsible for the enforcement of health legislation including Drugs act, pure food ordinance etc.
12. To perform any other duties that may be assigned to him from time to time, related to his sphere of responsibilities.