Advanced Premises
Ibn Abi Usaybah described in his book `Uyun Al-Anbaa’ the halls of internal medicine that frequently included a section for feverish patients and another for manic patients.
All sections of the bimaristan were equipped with all the medical instruments and apparatuses necessary for the physician.
Ibn Abi Usaybah tells us that `Adad Ad-Dawlah, upon his decision to build the `Adadi Bimaristan on the western side of Baghdad, prepared an evaluation exam for a hundred physicians, out of which only twenty-four were actually chosen to work in the hospital.
The chief of all physicians in the hospital was called As-Sa`oor, and many of the administrative duties in the hospital were performed by boys, acting as employees or health workers, assistants or dressers.
Others were responsible for cleaning the bimaristan and caring for the patients when necessary.
Muslim physicians also understood the importance of adjoining a pharmacy, known as Al Sharabkhana, to the Bimaristan to pass out the necessary medications prescribed by the physicians.
Competency
As is the case today, bimaristans underwent constant inspections. This was the responsibility of an employee assigned by the minister or the Caliph and given the authority to enter the hospital to be acquainted with the patients’ status and the care offered to them, the food given to them, whether the boys were serving them or not and whether the physician was properly performing his duty or neglecting it.
This system ensured that bimaristans continued to function with a high level of technical, scientific and administrative competence.
It is worth mentioning that each patient had his own card on which the physician recorded his observations.
The physician also had his own special register to record his observations on the diseases he was treating.
The physician performed his experiments and tests according to his observations.
If the physician faced any problem in any matter of diagnosis, he went to the head of his division or the chief physician.
Frequently, the physicians held meetings to discuss cases. We do the same today!
Al-Mansouri Hospital was built in Cairo, Egypt, in 1248 AD with 8000 beds and many specialized wards.
The hospital contained a praying room for Muslim patients and another for Christians. Admission was regardless of race, color or religion.
There was no limited time for in-patient treatment, and patients remained in the hospital until they fully recovered, which was assessed by their ability to eat a whole chicken! Discharged patients were provided not only with a new set of clothes but also with pocket money!
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