Investigating the Design Responsiveness of Kidney Dialysis Centres in Uganda. A Case Study of Mulago National Referral Hospital - Kiruddu

Abstract

Statesman and Prime minister Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill precisely described the effect of architecture and our surroundings in his comment that: “We shape our buildings and later they shape us.”

The built environment has been shown to impact human health and behavior (Nussbaumer, 2009), therefore it’s a responsibility for designers to develop an expertise and practical experience to protect the life safety and wellbeing of end-users (Kopec, Sinclair, & Matthes, 2012). This dissertation is intended to explore the responsibility of architecture during the rehabilitation and healing process of patients on dialysis through understanding the human aspects of a therapeutic environment. Due to the perceived institutional nature of health care environments of late that seemingly disregard the mental and spiritual dimension that dwell within us, the dimensions that prepare and maintain our positivity, this study comes up to investigate the missing link between architecture and healing. The study was carried out at Mulago National Referral Hospital (Kiruddu) - Renal Clinic, a general hospital operating under government jurisdictions and the biggest of the two-state owned dialysis centres in the country. The choice of sampling was based on size, geographical location and the departmental inventory with respect to facilities available. After the study and analysis of the area, appropriate recommendations regarding the design of dialysis centres were made. These proposals offer design guidelines for professionals in the building industry and stakeholders in healthcare towards better hospitals that support healing and lower operational costs.