As per the UN’s IPCC report, humanity are heading towards an unsustainable future as far as climate change is concerned, so much so, that the UN Secretary General Antony Guterres said the Working group’s report was nothing short of a “code red for humanity”.
Keeping the current scenario in mind, it is imperative that humans, as a species collectively take responsibility for the planet. Time is running out, but all is not lost.
In view of the catastrophic times that lie ahead should things continue the way they do, Prince Aly Khan Hospital has decided to take strides in the right direction. Some of the initiatives the hospital has come up with are:
Eco-friendly offices: The management has also decided to do away with disposable plastics wherever possible. The admin areas now have steel or glass bottles in place of plastic ones. Additionally, the lights in the offices have an auto-cutoff limit set at certain hours through the later parts of the day to limit the wastage of electricity and power.
Bridging the gap with patient care: As a healthcare provider, the patients are the topmost priority of any hospital, and no compromises can be made in that regard. However, at Prince Aly Khan Hospital, the use of plastic spoons and cups in the wards and ICUs has been restricted and glasses and metal cutlery has been distributed instead. Not just an eco-friendly measure, but one that will make the patients feel special.
Energy efficient Air-conditioning: The hospital has undertaken the task of replacing existing AC’s with five-star models that are much better at conserving electricity in the long run. 5 star AC’s are known to conserve energy much better than others and also provide better cooling.
Travel: Air travel has been limited for professionals in the organization unless absolutely necessary. Airplanes tend to use a lot of fuel and due to their proximity to the upper layers of the atmosphere when in flight, leave behind strong carbon emissions that in turn increase the greenhouse effect.
Water conservation: We are often reminded of just how much the water crisis is deepening the world over. Things are not very different in many parts of India, which is why Prince Aly Khan Hospital is doing their bit by ensuring water is used judiciously, by reducing the flow of water to avoid unnecessary wastage. Push button taps in the transit building and OPD have been installed to reduce the amount of water dispensed.
The 3 R’s: If you haven’t already heard of them, they stand for reduce, reuse, and recycle. The 3 R’s stress on sustainability and are an important part of natural conservation. The hospital has made it a point to adhere to this principle by transitioning from A5 to A4 sized sheets for day to day activities, hence, reducing the amount of paper used quantitatively. Wasting materials and resources have become a problem all over the World, and not many countries are equipped to tackle the problem efficiently. An initiative that the hospital envisions for the near future is the use of recycled paper in place of commercial paper used for routine printing. Thus reusing paper in the process.
