In ancient Rome, sick people turned to Aesculapius, the Roman god of medicine. Often the sick would stay in the temple precincts overnight in the hope of a miraculous cure. All ancient civilizations had their own equivalent of Aesculapius. These temples were probably the worlds first hospitals and gave solace of some kind to the sick. Gradually separate facilities were set up for the specific purpose of looking after the sick and slowly hospitals came into being. The fourth century saw the establishment of a hospital by the Christian church. The oldest known hospital in the Americas is the Hospital of Jesus of Nazareth, Mexico, 1524.

Thanks to the continuous efforts of many pioneers in the field of medicine, people all over the world now have access to excellent medical facilities. In fact, the wide range of facilities gives one an option to pick and choose and take the one that is most suited to ones particular needs. Specializations in specific fields have ensured fast and accurate diagnosis and access to approved and tested cures for most diseases.

Various illnesses and new developments of diseases ensure that mans creativity is constantly improved by handling each new medical challenge. This dedication to finding cures to every ill is evident by the number of people involved in medical research and development all over the world.

Different types of hospitals have been set up and are run both by the state and by the private sector. General hospitals with different departments handling different specialties have been set up by states. In addition to these, there are hospitals that deal with specific diseases or specific sections of the populace, such as pediatric hospitals, maternity hospitals, hospitals that specialize in cancer care, or orthopedics.