What percentage of medieval hospitals cared for the sick?

• A. 50%
• B. 10%
• C. 31%
• D. 70%

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is understanding how medieval hospitals actually worked. In the Middle Ages, many institutions called hospitals were mainly places of hospitality run by churches or monasteries. They provided shelter, food, and care for the poor, travelers, and pilgrims, rather than focused medical treatment. Only a small minority were true hospital facilities that treated the sick on a regular basis. That makes about ten percent the best estimate for how many cared for the sick, because most institutions served charitable needs rather than medical care. So the statistic reflects the broader social purpose of most medieval hospitals, not today’s idea of a hospital as a primary medical center.