Question

KindCare feels that it needs to be better prepared before a similar situation like COVID-19 chances upon the city again. The hospital decides to invest immediately in improving their infrastructure. However, this would mean that, temporarily, it should either reduce, or shut down the operations of a few departments. It is considering the following options: A) Reduce their outpatient capacity to half
B) Shut down the cafeteria for the period of renovation
C) Ask their administrative staff to work remotely
D) Strip the pharmacy operations down to emergency and critical medications
E) Shut down the medical lab, and arrange medical tests from a local lab
Which of the following combinations will LEAST affect the functioning of the hospital?

• A. ACD
• B. BCD
• C. BCE
• D. ABE
• E. ABC
• A. Rent a large space, about one hour away from the hospital, for seven days.
• B. Shut down the hospital until further notice, except for the emergency ward, which can run on outside supplies.
• C. Renovate the storage unit part by part while halving the capacity of the emergency services until the renovation completes.
• D. Start building a new storage facility, as their capacity is already stretched.
• J. Shut down the cafeteria until further notice and relocate the storage unit.
• A. Arrange with a larger hospital, in Shamili, to take over their critical patients.
• B. Stop the renovation work immediately, and resume normal operations.
• C. Resume some operations from rented spaces, scattered around the region.
• D. Start reduced operations gradually, and hire a team of experts to find ways to expedite the renovation.
• O. Bring in a reputed renovation team at triple the cost, which guarantees to finish this work in three days.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understand the hospital’s operations.
KindCare is the only 600-bed hospital in the region and caters to a large number of emergency and outpatient cases. Its critical facilities include the pharmacy, cafeteria, medical lab, and administrative staff. During COVID-19, it successfully enabled remote work for administrators, and the community also has multiple independent labs and pharmacy outlets.
Step 2: Evaluate each option.
- A (Reduce outpatient capacity to half): Outpatient services are a major component of the hospital’s role. Reducing them would severely affect patient inflow and community service. - B (Shut down cafeteria): The cafeteria primarily helps patients’ relatives and staff, but shutting it temporarily would not directly disrupt medical services. - C (Admin staff work remotely): This was already implemented during COVID-19, so it has little to no negative impact on operations. - D (Pharmacy only for critical medications): Restricting the pharmacy’s offerings may inconvenience patients but could create serious challenges for long-term treatment and regular cases. - E (Shut down medical lab, outsource tests locally): Given that many independent labs are already available in the area, outsourcing is feasible and won’t majorly disrupt patient care.
Step 3: Pick the least disruptive combination.
- Combinations involving A (outpatient reduction) directly harm hospital functioning → unsuitable. - Combinations involving D (pharmacy reduction) restrict critical hospital services → also risky. - BCE combines shutting the cafeteria, moving admin staff remote, and outsourcing medical tests—all of which are manageable without significantly affecting hospital functioning.
Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{C (BCE)}} \]

Answer 2

Step 1: Identify the critical service.
The storage unit is central to the functioning of emergency and ICU services. Any disruption here will directly impact patient survival. Hence, maintaining medicine flow is top priority.
Step 2: Evaluate the options.
- Option A: Renting a space one hour away delays access to critical medicines during emergencies. Not reliable. - Option B: Shutting down the hospital except for emergencies is drastic and unsustainable. - Option C: Halving emergency services reduces hospital capacity, which is risky in a region where KindCare is the sole 600-bed hospital. - Option D: Building a new facility is long-term, not a solution for immediate renovation needs. - Option E: Relocating the storage to the cafeteria space within the hospital ensures medicines remain accessible, while only sacrificing a non-critical service. This is practical and ensures continuity.
Step 3: Best solution.
Option E balances the urgency of renovation with uninterrupted access to essential medical supplies.
Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{E}} \]

Answer 3

Step 1: Identify the problem.
The hospital is stuck between ongoing renovation and patient dissatisfaction. Simply extending the renovation creates public anger, while stopping it entirely wastes effort and keeps the hospital unprepared for future crises.
Step 2: Evaluate the options.
- Option A: Sending patients to Shamili (100 km away) is impractical for emergencies and will inconvenience patients. - Option B: Stopping renovation restores services quickly but leaves KindCare unprepared, repeating past mistakes. Not sustainable. - Option C: Renting scattered spaces spreads operations thin, creating inefficiencies in coordination and patient care. - Option D: Gradual reopening ensures patients are served, while expert intervention accelerates the renovation timeline. This balances current needs with future preparedness. - Option E: Hiring a costly new team may finish faster, but “triple the cost” is financially unsustainable and may not guarantee long-term improvements.
Step 3: Best sustainable choice.
Option D offers the best balance: maintain some services for patients while ensuring renovation is completed effectively.
Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{D}} \]