Preparing for a Visit

For an elective surgery or procedure, once your doctor decides you need to be admitted to the hospital, you must obtain clearance from the financial information centre (FIC). You will be asked to signify your acceptance of the anticipated tariff to cover your treatment and stay in the hospital. After this step is completed, you will be given a date for admission as well as pre-operative instructions.

If your surgery is being done on an emergency basis, through the outpatient clinic or through emergency services, an admission deposit based on the anticipated procedure cost and your estimated length of stay will be required.

On the day of your admission, you may want to ask your driver to drop you off at the main entrance of the hospital before parking in the visitors’ parking area. Please go directly to the inpatient admissions counter in the main entry lobby area. One of our public relations assistants will help you with the admission process. If you will be undergoing surgery, you will be asked to give your written consent prior to the procedure. A parent or guardian must sign consent forms for minors. For elective surgery or procedures, the deposit should be made at this time.

You will be given an identification bracelet with your name and medical record number. Once all your paperwork is complete, you will be escorted to the area where you and your “attendant bystander” will be staying.

If surgery or a procedure is required, a nurse will explain any preparations that need to be done beforehand and will talk with you about what to expect before and after the procedure or surgery. The nurse will be happy to answer any questions.

Many surgical procedures require a stay of one or more days in the ICU following surgery, after which, the patient will be assigned a different bed than the one occupied by him/her prior to surgery.

Therefore, it is important for you to arrange to remove all personal belongings from that room or ward when you are transferred to the surgical theatre.

A list of all the medications you are taking

Personal toiletries

Contact lens, eyeglasses, dentures, or hearing aid case

Valuables and jewellery. We cannot accept responsibility for valuables left at your bedside

Cigarettes or pipes or any intoxicants. AIMS is a smoke and liquor-free facility

Food

An attendant bytander (hereafter called “bystander”) must stay overnight with you (with the exception of six-bed wards and critical care units). Most units offer a sleeping cot in your room at no additional cost. In the female wards, female patients must be accompanied by a female bystander, and in the male wards the bystander may be of either gender. Bystander passes are issued at the time of admission at the inpatient admissions counter. All passes must be shown whenever entering or leaving the building or upon request.

The visitor lodge is a temporary lodging facility for bystander of inpatients. Located on the AIMS Hospital campus, the building provides affordable housing with easy access to the hospital. To make arrangements for accommodations, please call the inpatient admissions counter at ext. 2071.

Once the patient is taken to the operating or procedure area, the bystander must vacate the room as well and seek accommodation in the visitor lodge to make room for newly admitted waiting patients and their bystanders. If the bystander in a private room wants to retain the room, application may be made at the inpatient admissions counter. The request will be granted, subject to room availability, and there will be an additional charge for the number of days the room is occupied by the bystander.

The bystander must be available by telephone during and after any surgery or procedure so the hospital can convey any message concerning the condition of the patient. Bystander should alert the visitor lodge manager or the inpatient admission counter staff as to where they can be contacted. Once the patient is brought back from the ICU/CCU or the procedure room, the bystander who vacated the room may again be provided a bed near the patient.

• • To decrease the chance of infection and ensure proper rest for all patients, we restrict the hours that visitors may see you. Visiting hours are 3:00pm to 5:00pm
  • Not more than two visitors at a time, please.
  • Visitors may obtain a pass at the patient information desk prior to going to your room and it must be visibly worn.
  • A visitor must relinquish his/her pass in order for another visitor to come see you
  • Children (age fourteen and older) may visit with permission of the nurse. Younger children will not be admitted
  • All children (ages 14-18) must be accompanied by an adult volunteer of the hospital
  • People with colds or infections should not visit
  • Each patient’s diet is strictly regulated in accordance with the patient’s medical requirements and is served food from the hospital dietary kitchen only. Bringing food from outside the hospital is prohibited
  • To protect the health of our patients, visitors, and staff, AIMS does not permit smoking or any other intoxicants on the premises anywhere in the hospital compound

  Surgical Patients

  Only immediate family members are welcome in your room before and after surgery. Family members wanting to speak to the surgeon after an operation should stay in the surgery waiting area. Hospital personnel will keep your family informed of your progress.

  Critical Care Units

  Immediate family may wait outside the CCU or ICU in the waiting area, where the doctors will brief them about the patient’s condition.

  Paediatric (Children’s) Ward

  One parent may stay with the child

  All visiting children must be accompanied by an adult volunteer of the hospital

  Healthy brothers, sisters, and friends of fourteen years or older may visit from 3:00pm to 5:00pm. Only two visitors at a time are permitted.

Nursing

The nursing staff will help you with any problems or concerns you may have. The head nurse and charge nurse also are available to help. If you are unable to resolve your concerns, please feel free to contact the patient services department.

Pharmacy

The inpatient pharmacy is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This complete prescription service is located on the ground floor of tower five. Some drugs and supplies are also available without prescription. Certain floors also contain centralised cash counters. Patients’ bystanders can place and pay for prescriptions at one of these counters instead of going to the inpatient pharmacy on ground floor of tower five. The medicines will then be collected and delivered to the patient via hospital personnel. Tower four, fourth floor has a dispensary. Please ask your nurse about this service.

Telephone

Each private and semi-private room is equipped with a telephone near the patient bed. You may receive calls by having your family and friends dial the hospital number and ask for you by name or room number. The operator will connect the call to your room. If you do not wish to receive calls, dial “9” to let the operator know. Additionally, internal hospital telephones are located in the ambulatory entrance lobby.

Television

Each private and semi-private room and all waiting lobbies are equipped with free television.

Information Centre

The information centre is open from 8:30am to 10:00pm everyday and is located in the main lobby. (Dial ext. 1000).

Preventing Falls

Help us prevent you from falling while you are here. Unless your nurse has approved it, don’t try to get in or out of bed without help. Your illness, treatment, or medication may make you temporarily dizzy or weak, so take your time when walking. It is suggested that you bring skid-proof slippers from home to use while walking after surgery.

If you get up by yourself, sit up in bed for a while before standing. Rise carefully, and slowly begin to walk. Remember that you are more likely to faint or feel dizzy after sitting or lying down for a long time. If the side rails on your bed are in the “up” position, please leave them there. They will protect you from falls and help you to turn in bed. Unless your doctor has specified a certain position, you may adjust your bed in any way that is comfortable. Ask your nurse to show you how to do this.

Fall precautions may become necessary if you are disoriented. Ask your nurse for an explanation. Don’t hesitate to call the nurse if you need help.

Movement in the Hospital

Patients are requested not to leave their ward or floor although walking within the ward area is encouraged when appropriate.

Book Stall

The book stall is located at the entrance to the hospital complex near the front gate. To place a telephone order or request room delivery from inside the hospital, dial ext. 2703. All purchases must be paid for at the time of the purchase. Proceeds from sales are used to fund the M.A. Math’s charitable activity projects.

Hours: Monday – Saturday 9:30am to 6:00pm.

Lost and Found

If you lose an item or leave something behind, please call the security office, ext 1192. Lost and unclaimed articles are kept with security for thirty days.

Mail

We will deliver mail sent to you at the hospital each day. After you leave, we will forward any mail received to your home. During your stay, your bystander can go to the communication department on the ground floor of tower five to post any letters.

Newspapers

Your bystander may purchase newspapers for you from the store located near the car pool.

Information to Friends and Family

The patient information desk located at the rear of the main entrance will give your room number and condition to people who ask about you. If you’d rather not have this information given out, or would prefer not to have visitors, be sure to tell your nurse.

Social Workers

Social workers are available to provide counselling and help to you and your family. They will facilitate your registration process, will answer questions during your hospital stay, and will help you with plans for going home, making recommendations as to an extended care nursing facility or home care, if necessary.

Translators

If available, we will be happy to provide language translators when needed. Please notify the patient services department as far in advance as possible if you will require a translator.

Banking

For your personal banking needs, Dhanalakshmi Bank is presently located inside the hospital campus and services will be available from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm on all bank working days.

Food Service

Our nutrition and dietary department plans each meal based on the diet your doctor has ordered. All meals are nutritious vegetarian food specially prepared in a hygienic manner.In order to maintain prescribed patient diets and to avoid any infection, bringing food from outside is prohibited. What you eat is a very important part of your recovery. Breakfast is served to you in your room from 7:30am to 8:30am, lunch from 12:30pm to 2:00pm, and dinner from 7:30pm to 8:30pm. If your doctor has placed you on a restricted diet, clinical dieticians are available to counsel you. In general, a patient will be required to fast before certain procedures. The patient is requested to take direction from the physician, dietician, or nursing staff as to the food to be consumed prior to and following the procedure.

Visitors’ Canteen

Your visitors are welcome to use the visitors’ canteen, located outside the main hospital building near the entrance to tower three. The canteen hours are from 5:30am to 10:00pm.

Catering Department

Your bystander may have his/her meals in your room after placing an order and a cash payment with the representative from the catering department. Their tray will be delivered to your room.

Incoming Calls

If you are in a private or semi-private room, calls from outside the hospital will be routed directly to your room through our switchboard, except for patients in critical care, whose calls will be routed to the nurses’ desk. Your friends and relatives may reach you by calling our main hospital number, 0484 – 2851234

Local Calls

If you wish to use the telephone in a private room to dial a local call, first dial “9” and then ask the operator for the number you wish to reach. A bystander for ward patients may use one of our telephone booths located at various centres throughout the hospital for local or STD calls (at the ambulatory and casualty entrances and near the car pool). All of these calls are to be paid for at the time of the call.

Calling Within the Hospital

Just dial the four-digit intercom number. If you don’t know the number, dial “9” to reach the operator for help.