In the 24-hour clock, the day runs from midnight to midnight and is divided into 24-hour increments. In the 24-hour clock, the Morning Hours remain the same as in the a.m./p.m. system and the Afternoon Hours are numbered from 13 to 24. one must add 12 to 1 p.m., 2 p.m., etc. So, 1 p.m. is 13:00. The 24-hour clock is expressed in 4 numbers, without a colon dividing them. The day starts at midnight and is written as 0000. The last minute of the day is written as 2359 (2400 minus 1 minute).

A 12-hour clock divides the 24 hours of a day into two 12-hour periods, AM and PM. AM (ante meridiem) represents the hours from midnight to noon, while PM (post meridiem) represents the hours from noon to midnight. One must add am or pm to the time numbers to express the time precisely.

“24 Hour Clock Convention (Method of Recording Time) is used where Time needs to be recorded precisely without any errors, as in the Railways, Aviation (Flight Schedules), Military, Government, Emergency Services, etc.

National Health Policy must specify, which Clock Convention will be used in Healthcare Administration and Records – the 24-hour Clock or the 12-hour Clock Since Healthcare Delivery also needs to record time precisely without any errors; therefore, it is recommended that Healthcare Systems follow the 24-hour Clock in preference to the 12-hour Clock.