Simulation modelling of capacity planning problem for third level intensive care units and a case study

The capacity planning of health services is very important. Especially, the capacity planning has a great importance to determine the needed bed capacity. Specialist doctors and also ventilators in the systems like intensive care units (ICU) can cause irreparable consequences. The capacity planning of intensive care units yields to meet patients? demand in maximum level. Through capacity planning the length of the queue for the waiting patients can be decreased, thus the permanent damages and fatality rate in ICUs are diminished.In this study, the capacity planning model for third level ICU services in Adana is developed. The simulation models are runned using the real data of patients collected from different hospitals in the province. The result of simulation models enables to assess the efficiency of bed capacity and services quality. The complexity of problem and inherent uncertainty of health system raise the importance of the developed simulation models to determine the needed bed capacity.