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Published on: January 15, 2017

Optimizing Cardiac Inpatient Flow and Resource Allocation in Low-Resource Settings Using Queuing Theory: Insights

Md Borhan Uddin1, Khalidur Rahman1, Md Asaduzzaman2

  • 1Department of Statistics Shahjalal University of Science and Technology Sylhet Bangladesh.

Public Health Challenges
|June 22, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Queuing theory models reveal critical bed shortages in Bangladesh cardiac care units, particularly the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) and Progressive Coronary Care Unit (PCCU). Recommendations include expanding CCU and PCCU beds to improve patient flow and care quality in low-resource settings.

Area of Science:

  • Healthcare Management
  • Operations Research
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Low-resource healthcare systems struggle with timely cardiac care delivery.
  • Inpatient flow and resource allocation are key challenges in cardiology departments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To optimize inpatient flow and resource allocation in a cardiology department using queuing theory.
  • To identify and address operational bottlenecks and resource shortages in cardiac care units.

Main Methods:

  • Application of queuing theory models (M/M/c/c and M/M/c/K).
  • Analysis of patient data (6277 patients in 2023), including arrival patterns, length of stay, and bed capacity.
  • Evaluation of four units: Normal Care Unit (NC), Cath Lab (CL), Coronary Care Unit (CCU), and Progressive Coronary Care Unit (PCCU).

Main Results:

  • Significant resource shortages and operational bottlenecks identified, especially in CCU and PCCU.
  • Bed shortages in CCU and PCCU frequently compromise patient care quality.
  • Overcrowding and unregulated bed use in NCU negatively impact efficiency.

Conclusions:

  • Expansion of CCU (8 to 15 beds) and PCCU (10 to 25 beds) is recommended to meet demand.
  • Reallocation of underutilized resources, like CL beds, can improve efficiency.
  • Data-driven strategies can reduce congestion, improve patient outcomes, and promote healthcare equity in underserved regions.

Keywords:
cardiac carehospital managementinpatient flow optimizationlow‐resource settingsqueuing theoryresource allocation

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