Facilities are the physical or operational points where healthcare happens. They range from large, specialized hospitals to small, community-based posts and temporary outreach sites.
Together, Facilities form a connected network, ensuring care is delivered at the right level and that patients, resources, and information can flow smoothly through the health system.
Facilities can:
⚕️deliver health services,
💉store medical resources, or
🚑coordinate health-related activities.
They are the points of action in a health system — where:
🩺care is provided,
💊supplies are distributed,
🗒️data is collected, and
🎬programs are implemented.
Facilities play a vital role in the services they provide, such as:
✅ Service Delivery – They represent the actual points where patients receive
🩺care,
💉vaccinations,
🩻diagnostics, and/or
💊medicines.
📊 Data Collection – Facilities are often the primary source of health system data
(e.g., patient visits, disease reports, inventory).
🪜 Structured Networks – Facilities often exist within an organized network or referral system, where larger centers support or oversee smaller sites.
🔄 Operational Planning – Identifying and classifying facilities is essential for logistics, workforce planning, and resource allocation.
Difference between Places and Facilities
While 🗾“Places” give us the geographic context (e.g., a city or district), 🏥Facilities give us the service delivery context
🩺showing where healthcare actually happens within those places.
Facilities are rarely isolated — they exist within a referral network or operational structure, where each type has a defined role and relationship with others.
💼For example:
🏤A health post may refer complex cases to a primary clinic.
🩻That clinic may refer surgical or specialist cases to a district hospital.
🏥Finally, the district hospital may refer highly complex or rare cases to a national hospital.
🔗This structured network ensures that care is provided at the most appropriate level while maintaining clear pathways for patient movement and resource coordination
Facilities exist in a hierarchy much like Places edited through the Place hierarchy. This facility hierarchy is used for several functions including:
Automatically routing requests for supply from the parent to children
Reporting roll-up by medical area/division/national hospitals
Here's how "facilities" might look in the real world
National / Referral Hospital
Large, specialized center
Advanced care, research, referrals
Toronto General (CA), Kenyatta National (KE)
Regional / Provincial Hospital
Major regional facility
Intermediate care, referral hub
Western Regional (NP), Ontario Shores (CA)
District / County Hospital
Local hospital
Comprehensive care, local referrals
Nakaseke District (UG), Peel Memorial (CA)
Primary Health Center / Clinic
Community-level facility
Basic healthcare, prevention
Community Health Centre (CA), PHC Kerala (IN)
Health Post / Dispensary
Small local site
Basic services, referrals upward
Village Health Post (ET), Local Dispensary (KE)
Outreach / Mobile Site
Temporary/mobile service point
Access for remote or underserved populations
Mobile Vaccination Unit (CA), Outreach Site (TZ)
Brief Explanation
🏥Large hospitals with advanced diagnostic, surgical, and specialty care services.
🗒️They often act as referral destinations for complex cases from other facilities.
🔗Provide specialized care, advanced procedures, medical education, and serve as national centers of excellence.
💼Examples:
🍁Toronto General Hospital – Canada
🚩Kenyatta National Hospital – Kenya
🏳️All India Institute of Medical Sciences – India
Brief Explanation
🏥Major hospitals serving a specific region or province, typically offering more services than local facilities but fewer than national hospitals.
🔗Provide inpatient and outpatient care, emergency services, and act as referral points for district or community facilities.
💼Examples:
🚩Western Regional Hospital – Nepal
🍁Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences – Canada
🏴Regional Referral Hospital – Uganda
Brief Explanation
🏥Mid-level hospitals that serve smaller geographic areas (such as a district or county).
🩺They offer general inpatient care, surgery, maternal services, and diagnostics.
🔗Provide essential care locally and refer more complex cases to larger hospitals.
💼Examples:
🏴Nakaseke District Hospital – Uganda
🍁Peel Memorial Centre – Canada
🏳️Chittagong District Hospital – Bangladesh
Brief Explanation
🏥Facilities offering basic healthcare services
⚕️such as routine check-ups, vaccinations, maternal care, and chronic disease management — often at the community level.
🔗Provide accessible, preventive, and essential healthcare services close to where people live.
💼Examples:
🍁Community Health Centre – Ontario, Canada
🏳️Primary Health Centre – Kerala, India
🚩Rural Health Unit – Philippines
Brief Explanation
🏥Small facilities with limited staff and services
🖼️often operating in rural or remote areas.
🔗Extend basic healthcare access to underserved communities and refer patients to larger facilities when needed.
💼Examples:
🚩Village Health Post – Ethiopia
🏳️Local Dispensary – Kenya
🏴Rural Health Post – Nepal
Brief Explanation
🛖Temporary or mobile setups where health services are delivered directly in communities
💉often for immunizations, health campaigns, or screening programs.
🔗Reach populations that cannot easily access permanent facilities.
💼Examples:
🚑Mobile Vaccination Unit – Canada
🛖Outreach Clinic Site – Tanzania
⛺Pop-up Health Camp – India
In regards to Facilities, here is a list of available operations that can be done:
➕Adding a new Facility Registration
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