We all know that Day Care Surgery is well established and accepted in the western world. The need of hour and cost effectiveness warrants the Day Care in Medicine as well. Nobody likes to be admitted and would like to avoid hospitalization, if possible.

The compelling factors responsible are: lack of affordable hospital beds, high population, fast life style, especially in metropolitan city, shrinking families, cost effectiveness, soon preference by insurance company and capable medical care all are in its favour.

We have tried to make a comprehensive list of Medical specialities, where Day Care facilities are extensively being used abroad and some of it in India too:

1. General and Chest Medicine – Pleural and Ascites tapping.
2. Cardiology – Coronary angiography, angioplasty, E.P. Study, Endo– Oesophago–sonography, Holter monitoring.
3. Neurology – Ambulatory EEG and monitoring for sleep disorders, etc.
4. Anaesthesia and pain management – Epidural, Nerve blocked, ablative procedure, elective stimulation, etc.
5. Skin and Cosmetics – Laser, Botox injection, I.R. rays therapy, etc.
6. Psychiatry – ECT, though less, is still used for majority of psychiatric disorder.
7. Gasatro-enterology – Various diagnostic and therapeutic G.I. procedures including capsule endoscopy, Intragastric balloon, PEG.
8. Paediatrics – Hospitalization is a punishment for the childern. Several paediatric ailments can be managed in day care. Children do very well in familiar surrounding of their homes.
9. Radiology – Majority of diagnostic and interventional radiological procedures can be performed as day care.
10. Diabetes – foot care of diabetes, training of diabetes control, patient education are all done in day care.
11. Medical Oncology, haematology, blood bank – chemotherapy, blood transfusions, phlebotomy and various other procedures.
12. Radiotherapy – Brachy-therapy and radio therapy procedures.
13. Imaging as day care – Sonography, C.T. Guided, Aspiration, FNAC, digital, localization are the procedures are done as day care.

Conclusion
With the advancement in medical technology, public education, infrastructure availability, several procedures which were requiring compulsory hospitalization are being done as ambulatory or day care in medicine and other allied specialties or fields with the aim of better patient care in the millennium, increasing the spectrum of day care facilities.

*Consultant Surgeon, Bombay Hospital; **Consultant Surgeon, Abshihek Day Care Institute of Medical Sciences.