hôpital

Hôpital is the French term for a hospital, a medical facility that provides diagnosis, treatment, and care for people who are ill or injured. Hospitals deliver inpatient and outpatient services, including emergency care, surgery, obstetrics, and rehabilitation. They may be general or specialized and operate in public, private, or charitable health systems.

The word derives from Old French hospitale, from Medieval Latin hospitale, from Latin hospes meaning host. Historically, the term referred to lodging for travelers and the sick and was linked to charitable institutions run by religious orders; over time, hospitals developed into secular medical facilities.

In medieval Europe, hospices cared for pilgrims and the poor. In the modern era, hospitals became central to medical education and care delivery, with the rise of university hospitals and state-funded systems in many countries. Specialization grew with departments such as surgery, internal medicine, psychiatry, and pediatrics.

Hospital organization typically includes departments or wards such as emergency, surgery, obstetrics, intensive care, radiology, laboratory, and rehabilitation services. Teaching hospitals link clinical care with medical education and research. Types include general hospitals and specialized institutions such as pediatric, psychiatric, cancer, and rehabilitation hospitals.

Funding and governance vary by country. In many places, hospitals are funded by the state or social health insurance and governed by public authorities, hospital trusts, or charitable organizations. Others operate as private not-for-profit or for-profit entities. Quality and safety are maintained through accreditation, professional standards, and patient rights frameworks.