Siemens Building Technologies Provides Better Health for Hospitals
Drastic budget cuts, aging populations and increasing patient demands present enormous challenges to hospitals around the globe — many facilities have already closed down. In Germany, for example, the number of hospitals has decreased by 10 percent to around 2,100 in just a decade. The German Hospital Association does not anticipate a reversal of this trend.
The Building Technologies (BT) division of Siemens helps hospitals address these challenges with smart and energy-efficient solutions, coupled with sophisticated security systems. BT's portfolio includes fire detection and extinguishing, security, low-voltage power distribution, building automation, energy efficiency solutions and energy management contracting. Siemens provides financing for energy-saving measures, guarantees customers preset yearly energy savings, and allows them to repay their investments from the money saved.
A case in point was the “Hospital of the 21st Century” which opened in early 2009 in Sittard, the Netherlands where patients are treated as guests and efficiency measures extend beyond cost reduction to enhance patient well-being and rapid healing. At the Orbis Medisch Centrum, advanced Siemens technologies contribute to outstanding patient care while reducing health care costs by around 10 percent.
Hospital security and fire safety were additional key issues. BT's RFID system ensures the security of personnel. In case of emergency, staff can trigger an alarm through the RFID tag integrated in their personal badge, which is forwarded to the personnel in charge through a wireless tracking system.
Additionally, Siemens installed an innovative fire safety system consisting of detection, evacuation and extinguishing components. It is mapped in a danger management system in the hospital's command center so that in an emergency, patients, visitors and personnel can be directed to safety using visual indicators and loudspeaker announcements.