Wards Management

The Wards module is where you manage different hospital wards or departments. This is where you set up and maintain information about ICU, General Wards, Pediatrics, Maternity, and other patient care areas.

Understanding Wards

A Ward is a specific patient care area in the hospital. Each ward has a name and type to help organize where patients are located. Think of wards as different rooms or sections in your hospital where patients stay.

Common Ward Examples:

• ICU (Intensive Care Unit)
• General Ward
• Pediatric Ward
• Maternity Ward
• Surgical Ward
• Emergency Ward
• Isolation Ward

The Wards Page

When you open the Wards section, you'll see a simple list of all hospital wards.

What You'll See:

1. Ward List: All wards in your hospital system

2. Key Information Displayed:

   • Ward Name: Official name (e.g., "Ward A", "ICU")
   • Ward Type: Category (e.g., "ICU", "General")
   • Active Status: Green checkmark = Active, Red X = Inactive

3. Hidden Information (click eye icon to show):

   • Created Date
   • Last Updated Date
   • Deleted Date (for inactive wards)

Adding a New Ward

When to Add a Ward:

• When opening a new department
• When renaming an existing area
• When setting up temporary wards
• When reorganizing hospital layout

Step-by-Step Creation:

Step 1: Basic Information

1. Click New Ward
2. Fill in the form:

Ward Name:

• Enter the official name
• Examples: "Ward A", "ICU", "Pediatric Wing"
• Make it clear and descriptive

Ward Type:

• Choose a category that describes the ward
• Common types: ICU, General, Pediatric, Maternity, Surgical
• You can create custom types if needed

Active Status:

• Green (Active): Ward is currently in use
• Red (Inactive): Ward is closed or not in use
• Default: New wards are active automatically

Step 2: Save

• Click Save to create the ward
• The ward now appears in your list

Editing Existing Wards

When to Edit a Ward:

• Changing ward name
• Updating ward type
• Opening/closing a ward
• Correcting information

How to Edit:

1. Find the ward in the list
2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon)
3. Make your changes
4. Click Save

Viewing Ward Details

What You Can See:

• Full ward information
• Creation date and last update
• Active/inactive status
• Any related information

How to View:

1. Find the ward in the list
2. Click the View button (eye icon)
3. See all details in read-only mode

Understanding Ward Status

Active vs. Inactive:

Status	What It Means	When to Use
Active	Ward is open and accepting patients	Ward is currently in use
Inactive	Ward is closed or not in use	Ward is under renovation, closed temporarily, or no longer exists

Important: Inactive wards won't appear in dropdowns when assigning patients or rooms.

Actions You Can Take

On Each Ward:

• View: See full ward details (read-only)
• Edit: Change ward information
• Delete: Remove ward (goes to trash)

Bulk Actions (Multiple Wards):

1. Check boxes next to wards
2. Choose:
   • Delete Selected: Move to trash
   • Restore Selected: Bring back from trash
   • Force Delete: Permanently remove

How Wards Connect to Other Modules

Important Relationships:

• Patient Admissions: Patients are assigned to specific wards
• Room Management: Rooms belong to wards
• Staff Assignments: Nurses and doctors are assigned to wards
• Bed Management: Beds are organized by ward

Note: Setting up wards correctly helps with:

• Patient placement
• Staff scheduling
• Resource allocation
• Hospital organization

Best Practices for Ward Management

Do:

1. Use clear, consistent naming - "Ward A" not "That ward near reception"
2. Update status promptly - Mark as inactive when ward closes
3. Use appropriate types - Helps with filtering and reporting
4. Keep inactive wards - Don't delete, just mark inactive for records
5. Plan ward structure - Think about hospital workflow when creating wards

Don't:

1. Don't create duplicate wards - Check existing list first
2. Don't delete active wards - Mark inactive instead
3. Don't use vague names - "Area 1" is less helpful than "Emergency Ward"
4. Don't forget to update - Keep information current
5. Don't mix ward types - Each ward should have one clear purpose

Common Tasks & How-to's

How to open a new ward:

1. Click New Ward
2. Name: "New Surgical Wing"
3. Type: "Surgical"
4. Active: Yes (green)
5. Save

How to close a ward temporarily:

1. Find the ward
2. Click Edit
3. Change Active to No (red)
4. Save
5. Ward won't appear in patient assignments

How to rename a ward:

1. Find the ward
2. Click Edit
3. Change the Name field
4. Save
5. All existing assignments keep the new name

How to find all active wards:

• Look for green checkmarks in Active column
• Inactive wards have red X marks

How to restore a deleted ward:

1. Enable "Trashed" filter (top of table)
2. Find the deleted ward
3. Use Restore action
4. Ward returns to active list

Ward Types Reference

Common Ward Types and Their Purposes:

Ward Type	Typical Use	Example Patients
ICU	Critically ill patients	Heart attack, severe trauma
General	Standard patient care	Recovery from surgery, illness
Pediatric	Children's care	Kids with infections, injuries
Maternity	Pregnancy and childbirth	Expecting mothers, newborns
Surgical	Pre/post-operative care	Before/after surgery
Emergency	Urgent care	Accidents, sudden illness
Isolation	Contagious diseases	COVID, tuberculosis
Psychiatric	Mental health care	Depression, anxiety disorders

Quick Reference Guide

What you want to do	Steps to follow	Important Notes
Add new ward	New Ward → Enter details → Save	Name it clearly
Close a ward	Edit → Active: No → Save	Don't delete, just deactivate
Find a ward	Search by name or type	Use table search box
See all wards	No filters needed	Shows all by default
View ward history	Enable hidden columns	Shows creation/update dates

Troubleshooting

If ward not appearing in dropdowns:

• Check if ward is Active (green checkmark)
• Refresh the page
• Contact admin if problem persists

If can't edit a ward:

• Make sure you have permission
• Check if ward is in trash
• Try refreshing the page

If duplicate wards exist:

• Mark one as Inactive
• Update all assignments to the correct ward
• Contact admin to merge if needed

If ward type missing:

• You can type any type you need
• Try to use standard types for consistency
• Contact admin to add to standard list if frequently used

Time-Saving Tips

1. Use consistent naming - easier to find later
2. Plan all wards at once - if setting up new hospital
3. Keep inactive wards - better than recreating later
4. Use the search - faster than scrolling
5. Bulk update - mark multiple wards inactive at once

Ward Setup Checklist

Before saving a new ward, verify:

• ✓ Name is clear and unique
• ✓ Type is appropriate
• ✓ Active status is correct
• ✓ All fields are filled
• ✓ No duplicates exist
• ✓ Follows hospital naming conventions

Remember: Well-organized wards make your hospital run smoother. Patients get to the right place, staff know where to go, and management can track usage by area.