Green hospitals are able to increase their efficiencies and environmental stewardship while improving patient safety and care. Keeping in view these advantages, hospitals in India need to incorporate environmentally sustainable practices in their operations, writes Vivek Ratnakar of Elets News Network (ENN).
No one ever actually thinks of good hospitals as massive producers of waste, but they are in reality. It is a fact that is often overlooked when we think of hospitals as care providers that are so critical to a healthy society.
Green buildings are indeed healthy buildings and a green hospital is built around a facility that recycles, reuses materials, reduces waste, and produces cleaner air for its occupants — patients as well as staff.
According to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), which certifies green building standards, the design of green buildings minimises impact on the environment by reducing the use of energy and water. Environmental disturbance is also limited during the building process and by the choice of the building site.
Overall, the initial scientific evidence indicates better indoor environmental quality in green buildings versus non-green buildings, with direct benefits to human health for occupants of those buildings, says Dr Joseph Allen from the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health in the US.
Allen and his colleagues conducted the first comprehensive review of studies that focused on green buildings and summarised the health benefits for the people who work and live in them.
| Green Rati ngs that Every Hospital Should Aspire For |
| IGBC Green Healthcare rati ng by Indian Green Building Council. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Plati num rating developed by the US Green Building Council. Green Rati ng for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) rating by Griha Council which was founded by TERI (The Energy and Resources Insti tute, New Delhi) with support from Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India. ASHRAE standards accredited by the American Nati onal Standards Insti tute (ANSI). |
In relation to hospitals, researcher found that green hospitals benefit patients and the medical staff working in them alike. One study, for instance, noted improved quality of care, fewer blood stream infections, improved record keeping and a lower number of deaths among patients.
In India, few hospitals have gone to the extent of getting Green certification from the authorities to set an example to others. The concept being discussed and debated in many conferences and conclaves shows that the healthcare leaders are supporting this and everybody is serious in implementing, says Dr Sivakumaran, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Kovai Medical College and Hospital.
He also provides useful insights on the many benefits of becoming green hospitals. Introducing environmental sustainability measures in hospitals not only results in significant savings, but also ensures that operating costs remain low, he says.
The implications of Green hospitals are clear — given the return on investment, all hospitals should adopt and expand their sustainability programmes.
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