Sydney Hospital and Sydney Eye Hospital: A Social Institution in Australian Healthcare

This research report discusses the framework, theoretical underpinnings, and impact of Sydney Hospital and Sydney Eye Hospital as a social institution in Australian healthcare. It highlights the hospital's history, characteristics, and services, as well as its contribution to the community and medical education. The report also explores the theories on social institutions and their functions, and the role of healthcare as a public institution.

Running head: AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY, SYSTEM AND POLICIES
Australian Society, System and Policies
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY, SYSTEM AND POLICIES
Introduction
Social institutions refers to the framework of the groups of people, who come together to
serve a common purpose to have the rights, privileges, benefits, goals, liabilities, or specific
objectives, which are different from those of the individual members of the society (LaFree,
2018). Social relationships are the foundations of these institutions and these are formed to meet
the basic needs of the society, such as, the law and order, economic and financial stability. Every
social institution is based on certain set of rules, frameworks, and traditions. Healthcare or
medicine is one such social institution, which focuses on improving the health and life of the
entire society so that it can achieve the best productivity as well as well being. As stated by
Naude (2014), the hospitals are social institutions and those contribute to the community, to
public welfare, and to the advancement of the civilization. Sydney Hospital and Sydney Eye
Hospital is the oldest hospital in Australia and is a major social institution in the healthcare in the
country. The research report will highlight the framework of the Sydney hospital, the theoretical
underpinnings of the social institution and its impact on the Australian society.
Framework of Sydney Hospital and Sydney Eye Hospital
Social institutions in the healthcare or medicine are those that specialize in monitoring
the public health, providing health maintenance to the community and treating mental and
physical illness and injury. The goal or objective of the medical institutions of a society is to
promote the health and total well being of the people and nature of the health and medicine is
culturally determined in a society. Going with this objective and principle, Sydney/Sydney Eye
Hospital was established in 1788, when the First Fleet arrived in the country. This historical
social institution was located in the Macquarie Street since 1816 and has been dedicated to
provide nursing and medical treatment to the community. This institution became a teaching

2AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY, SYSTEM AND POLICIES
hospital under the affiliation of University of Sydney and University of New South Wales. This
is also associated with Sydney Medical School through the Discipline of Clinical Ophthalmology
and Eye Health and The Save Sight Institute (Seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au., 2018).
Characteristics of this hospital as a social institution are to provide attention to the overall
health of the people, with a special emphasis on the eye care, by offering the best medical
facilities. As a public institution, the hospital contributes in the community life, to the public
welfare and it is civilization. The functions are organized accordingly so that these needs are
fulfilled. The aim of this hospital is to keep the people in good health and fitness to deal with
work and problems of life (Nicholson, 2011). While caring for the sick, the hospital also serves
the community by providing employment to a large number of people. The economy also gets
benefitted as monetary transactions take place for the supplies and equipment. Hence, general
welfare of not only the individuals, but also of the community is promoted. As a part of the
society, Sydney hospital not only spends a good amount of money for training of the doctors,
nurses, health workers and technicians, but also works as a teaching hospital where medical
students get education. It contributes towards medical education in the society. During any
emergency, natural calamity or epidemic, the hospital provides services to the sick and suffering,
regardless of the nationality or race. Thereby, the hospital dedicates its service to ensure that the
country gets healthier generations of people who can contribute in the progress of the nation.
Theoretical underpinnings
The theories on social institutions highlight the functions of the hospitals. According to
Dunbar (2011), the hospitals are sociologically making contributions in advancement of the
civilizations. Through the inventive art, the instruments and the machines are being developed

3AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY, SYSTEM AND POLICIES
into finest instruments. It also contributes in stimulating the creative art, as seen in the murals,
wood carvings, structure and architecture of the hospitals of the medieval era. With the help of
the advanced medical science, the hospitals as a social institution make the commitment to serve
the nation by offering the best healthcare facilities, so that the nation gets a healthy and fit
generation of people. Schotter (2008) highlights that, the healthcare is a public institution, which
create the foundation for enjoying the economic benefits and social wealth and the need for
healthcare differs from the wants or desire for other goods and commodities in the market. Thus,
it can be inferred that, Sydney Hospital was established with this principle to meet the
community needs for healthcare, which is an important criteria for a social institution.
Impact on the Australian society
Sydney/Sydney Eye Hospital is one of the major hospitals in Australia. Since 1788, the
hospital is serving the community. The services of this hospital include Emergency Department,
Eye Hospital, Hand Unit, Artificial Eyes, and Allied health services. It offers 24 hours
emergency services for the residents, homeless as well as visitors to the country. The Hand Unit
of the Sydney Hospital provides specialized care for the treatment of the hand trauma, diseases
and abnormalities of the hand. The Allied Services include the services in dietetics,
physiotherapy, radiology, pharmacy, social work, orthoptics and medical library. Apart from
these, the hospital houses a special eye care unit. The Sydney Eye Hospital is one of the most
renowned hospitals providing eye care facilities in the state and in the nation. The most
complicated eye treatments are carried out in this hospital, such as, Corneal Grafting, Ocular
Plastic Surgery and Retinal Surgery. It also provides 24 hour emergency service and offers the
largest program in the nation for training the ophthalmologists. This hospital also manufactures
custom made artificial eyes, which is used for eye replacement surgeries

4AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY, SYSTEM AND POLICIES
(Seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au., 2018). Thus, it is seen that, this hospital focuses on improving the
overall health, especially the eye health of the society by providing the best healthcare facilities,
with a mission to provide a healthy community.
Conclusion
The existence of the healthcare institutions was always based on the ethics of providing
the medical facilities to the communities for better health and wellbeing, so that optimum
economic welfare can be achieved. Hospitals have been contributing in improving the
civilizations where people are not interested in improving their own health, but also of their
families and the community. Overtime, the hospitals, public or private, work for the benefit of
the society and being a dynamic social institution, the hospitals have changed the traditions and
customs to meet the community needs. Sydney Hospital is no exception and with their dedicated
service for more than a century, they have been successful in meeting the community needs of
the nation, not only in the healthcare but also in the education.

5AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY, SYSTEM AND POLICIES
References
Dunbar, R. I. (2011). Constraints on the evolution of social institutions and their implications for
information flow. Journal of Institutional Economics, 7(3), 345-371.
LaFree, G. (2018). Losing legitimacy: Street crime and the decline of social institutions in
America. Routledge.
Naude, P. (2014). Hospital as a Social Institution. Retrieved from
https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1942/05/hospital-as-a-social-institution-3
Nicholson, K. (2011). Health Care: A Social Institution. Retrieved from
https://prezi.com/fryfqwb2d5ze/health-care-a-social-institution/
Schotter, A. (2008). The economic theory of social institutions. Cambridge Books.
Seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au. (2018). About Sydney Hospital and Sydney Eye Hospital. Retrieved
from http://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/SHSEH/aboutus.asp