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HOSPITAL PATIENT DISTRESS SYSTEM

By:
LINCOLYN MOYO
N01521698G
SUPERVISOR: DR. B MTUNZI

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

FACULTY OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

3 MAY 2018
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DEDICATION
This project is dedicated to the Electronic Engineering Class of 2020, who have proved to be a great
support system time and again. I dedicate this project to a new era in Zimbabwe hoping that it brings
with it the much needed industrial technology growth.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Dr. B Mtunzi, I have so much gratitude for your unwavering support, encouragement and priceless
advice. Your professionalism in naturing my project will go a long way in developing me into a
competent engineer.
Moyo family, for all the love, support and encouragement thank you very much.
Faculty of Industrial Technology, thank you for the opportunity of learning you have afforded me.
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ABSTRACT
In this project, a hospital patient distress system is designed and developed which allows
patients to communicate with medical personnel in a case where they need assistance. The
system helps in assisting patients who are bedridden and have no other means of
communication with medical staffs in the absence of their caretakers. Initially patients would
be given a bel to ring whenever they needed help but this system proved to be inefficient
because medical personnel could not accurately locate call for help amongst many bell
sounds. As technology improved a wired push button was employed where switches were
mounted near hospital beds that facilitate patients to alert a centralized base station for
seeking the attention of the nurses or other health care staffs. As and when the call is initiated
and attended the alert signal is automatically turned on and off respectively. In this project a
radio frequency based wireless communication is adopted to address the wiring problems that
plagued the previous systems. The designed system provides the unique identification room
number of the patient through an assigned light emitting diode and buzzer at the nurse station.
The call is initiated manually as many times as the patient deems necessary or at least up to
when help finally arrives.