ANALYSIS OF A PUBLIC HOSPITAL’S SURGICAL CENTER USING DISCRETE EVENT SIMULATION

This study employs Discrete Event Simulation (DES) to analyze the operational dynamics of a high-complexity 5-room surgical center within a Brazilian public hospital (SUS). The research evaluates systemic resilience and resource use improvement through three scenarios: a validated baseline, a demand-leveling strategy with extended elective shifts, and a historical peak stress test. Results show that the system maintains operational stability of 15 surgeries/day on average under current demand; however, critical bottlenecks are associated with human resource synchronization, specifically nursing technicians and medical staff, rather than physical infrastructure. Findings indicate that demand leveling can enhance productivity, though it induces a "spillover effect" that increases pressure on nocturnal support sectors like sterilization and hygiene. The proposed framework provides a robust decision-support tool for capacity planning in resource-constrained public healthcare environments, emphasizing the necessity of integrated, systemic management.