THE DESIGN OF A SPECIALIST HOSPITAL FOR PEADIATRICS, OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY AT WOJI, RIVER-STATE: AN ARCHITECTURAL SYlNTHESIS OF FORM IN A MOTHER AND CHILD HOSPITAL

Abstract

Developing countries carry a heavy burden of disease and death. This is seen mainly in vulnerable groups such as children and women in the reproduction phase of life; in these groups, inadequate nutrition, physiologic demands and lack of resistance make the effects of disease more serious. The hostile physical environment manifest itself in heavy infant and child mortality rates and a low expectancy of life and these two indices taken together give an indication of the health of a community (Ebrahim, 1981). A striking feature of all studies in child mortality is that of the morbidity and deaths are caused by a handful of disease the common illnesses in developing countries are often called the disease of poverty; tuberculosis and measles amongst these are related to the interaction between under nutrition and infection. The , immaturity of the body system. in young children and lack of acquired immunity to microbial agents make them specially vulnerable to infection. Morbidity and mortality of women are caused by infection and lack of awareness with respect to information concerning pregnancy, delivery and family planning. The proposed Specialist Hospital for Paediatrics, Obsterics and Gynecology, is located in Woji town, Rivers State but accessible to other local government areas. The proposed site is zoned in to public, semi-public and private areas in order to achieve a functional design and the relationship between spaces identified resulting in a functional and pragmatic design. The goal of the thesis is to design a Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology hospital that would take care of the failing health of ailing children, 3protect the would be mother, provide a conducive environment for clinical services offered to mother and child, safe working environment for staff, separate out-patient from in-patient and provide an emergency and operation suite for the departments that would need such. This compilation sets out to analyses how this has been achieved.