Numerous important issues were closely examined at the 19th Congress of the International Federation of Hospital Engineering (IFHE) held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, South Africa, in May.
Arne Nesje of SINTEF Buildings and Infrastructure, described to delegates the planning and building of new facilities at St Olavs Hospital in Trondheim, Norway, and this issue of Health Estate Journal features an article adapted from his paper (see page 27).
Included in a long list of other Congress presentations were papers on the South African private hospital sector and the challenges it faces; the digital operating room concept in the South African market; monitoring quality of hospital maintenance and support services; energy efficient hospital design; advanced air treatment technology; electrical safety; implementing clinical information systems in developing countries; and considerations concerning building hospitals in areas prone to earthquakes.
