Movement within hospitals is easier
10 Criteria:
- 1 Arabic is the primary language on signage, with clear English translation.
- 2 Use standardized, audience-friendly terminology and avoid unknown abbreviations.
- 3 Place signs at key decision points such as entrances, reception areas, elevators, staircases, intersections, and parking lot exits.
- 4 Install signs to confirm the path in long corridors or after turns.
- 5 Allow the use of floor markings or colored paths in eligible locations, provided they are clear, safe, and do not conflict with infection control, safety, or evacuation route standards.
- 6 Use arrows, symbols, and colors consistently.
- 7 Consider the needs of elderly persons, people with disabilities, and those with visual impairments regarding font size, contrast, height, and readability.
- 8 Remove or replace old, conflicting, or unclear signs when installing new ones.
- 9 Use professional, durable, safe, cleanable materials suitable for healthcare facility environments.
- 10 Ensure that the design and appearance of signs are professional and commensurate with the standards of healthcare facilities.
The implementation of the decision is not limited to increasing the number of signs; rather, it aims to establish a clear and integrated signage system that helps patients, visitors, and guests reach their destinations without confusion, by standardizing terminology, organizing movement paths, placing signs in appropriate locations, and removing old signs.
The provisions of the decision apply to all facilities under the Ministry of Health, covering internal and external signage, hospital entrances, parking lots, corridors, elevators and staircases, reception points, outpatient clinics, emergency departments, laboratories, radiology departments, pharmacies, wards, and other essential services.
The decision assigns implementation responsibility to the Engineering Affairs and Projects Sector, in coordination with the hospital director or head of the specialized center. A working group shall be formed comprising representatives from Engineering Affairs, General and Hospitality Services, Quality and Accreditation, Public Relations, Security and Safety, Professional Practice, and Information Systems Technology (as needed), with the possibility of adding other entities depending on the nature of the building, services, and movement paths within the facility.
The decision requires healthcare facilities, when requesting signage, to submit their designs to the Engineering Affairs and Projects Sector to ensure compliance with the approved framework and standards.
Furthermore, the decision mandates each healthcare facility, in coordination with the Engineering Affairs and Projects Sector, to prepare a plan for improving signage within 60 days of the decision’s issuance. This plan must include an assessment of the current situation, identification of locations and corridors lacking clear signage, inventory of old, conflicting, or non-approved signs, and determination of priority paths and an implementation timeline.
According to the decision, priority is given to the most frequently used paths that significantly impact patients and visitors, particularly parking lots, main entrances, reception areas, long corridors, intersections, outpatient clinics, emergency departments, laboratories, radiology departments, pharmacies, elevators, wards, and paths for people with disabilities and the elderly. This also includes special corridors activated during emergencies involving infectious diseases or environmental contamination.
The decision prohibits the use of printed papers or paper boards that do not reflect the professionalism of the healthcare facility as informational signage within hospitals and specialized centers. It also bans the placement of printed papers or temporary boards on walls, doors, elevators, or glass surfaces to comply with the decision’s requirements, mandating that these be replaced with professional and approved informational signage.
The decision permits the use of temporary boards in exceptional cases, such as maintenance work, relocation of services, or operational emergencies, provided they are clear, professionally presented, and mounted in appropriate holders or frames. These temporary boards may remain in place for no more than 30 days, unless the facility’s management approves an extension for justified reasons.
The decision obligates the management of each healthcare facility to monitor the implementation of the informational signage improvement plan and assess its impact through indicators including patient complaints related to wayfinding difficulties, the most frequently asked-about locations by visitors and patients, feedback from reception, security, and public relations staff, and instances where patients miss appointments due to difficulties navigating within the facility.
The decision stipulates that healthcare facilities submit a brief report to the Engineering and Projects Sector within 90 days of its issuance, detailing completed actions, remaining implementation phases, and any obstacles requiring resolution. The decision takes effect from the date of its issuance.
