‘Patient Comfort First’, hospitals to observe nighttime quiet hours from 10 pm to 6 am
The Ministry of Health has announced a series of recommendations and operational guidelines for medical, nursing, and support staff as part of the implementation of its new “Quiet Hours” initiative across hospital departments.
The initiative, which will be observed daily from 10:00 pm until 6:00 am under the slogan “Patient comfort first… a more peaceful and supportive therapeutic environment for recovery,” aims to improve patients’ rest and promote healing through a calmer hospital atmosphere.
The ministry urged staff to lower their voices while speaking, avoid unnecessary side conversations in corridors and nursing stations, and limit the use of loudspeaker announcements except in cases related to patient safety or emergencies.
The recommendations also call for reducing the volume of telephones and non-critical alarms to the minimum appropriate level, minimizing noise from medical trolleys and equipment, closing doors and cabinets quietly, and conducting shift handovers away from patient rooms whenever possible.
To further reduce nighttime disturbances, the ministry advised grouping non-urgent procedures into a single visit, including routine checks and the administration of non-essential medications, while ensuring medical devices and intravenous equipment are reviewed before the quiet period begins.
The guidelines also recommend dimming corridor and workstation lighting to safe but lower levels, turning off unnecessary lights inside patient rooms with patient approval, and postponing non-urgent examinations or procedures until after quiet hours whenever medically possible.
The ministry stressed that all hospital personnel, including workers in cleaning, maintenance, nutrition, transport, and support services, are expected to cooperate in minimizing unnecessary movement and noise during the designated hours to help create a more peaceful healing environment without compromising patient safety.
