Hospitals- Go Green!

Gone are the days when hospital used to have a deadly atmosphere and an unpleasant odor being a pre-requisite of patient getting more ill during the course of treatment. With rapid development of technology, consumer awareness increasing to greater extent and hospitals taking a social responsibility of protecting environment and patient, Green Hospital concept came into being.

A green hospital is one that aims to be environmental friendly, utilizes renewable resources, reduces waste by implementing green practices and enhances patient well-being. The concept of a green hospital was perpetuated a few years back by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) through the release of their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for building construction. It works on the principle of the three R’s – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. These hospitals are very innovative and reduce the emission of carbon to a large extent. Although the initial cost of construction for green hospitals are high, it has a long term effect in reducing energy cost by 20-40% and water saving upto 35-40%.

Hospital planning companies should plan and design hospitals in such a way that they maximize the utilization of day-light rather than artificial light. One of the critical factors to be considered is improving the quality of air by using an air sterilizer and certain species of plants, which absorb pollutants. Gardens and parks provide aesthetic beauty, increase patient delight and enhance their well-being thereby helping them feel better faster. Implementing various tools like lean management and Six Sigma would help in reducing waste.

Kohinoor Hospital, Mumbai is the first Platinum Rated Green Hospital in India. Many others have also come up to follow green concept in the past few years, such as Asian Healthcare, Matushri Monghiben Ramji Savla Hospital and Research Centre, Max Balaji Hospital, Fortis Hospital, Continental Hospitals Ltd, Lazarus Hospitals Ltd, Govt. Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College & Hospital, ESI Hospital, Medica Hospitals Pvt. Ltd.

As per Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), introducing green concepts in the healthcare facilities can help address National issues like infection, epidemics, handling of bio-medical waste, water efficiency, energy efficiency, reduction in fossil fuel use for commuting, consumer waste and in general conservation of natural resources. Most importantly, these concepts can enhance patients' health, recovery and well-being.

Hence, it can be rightly said, Green Hospitals are not future oriented but the only sustainable thing.

- Mr. Anurag Bora, Student, INLEAD 

An experience which touched my heart…

What do you do when you see an Ambulance struggling for its way in the middle of a traffic fiasco? While you ponder over this tough question, I would like to share with you a recent experience of mine which really touched my heart and made be believe that there’s still good left in the society.

Here I go!

It’s a routine for many of us to push our way ahead, honking, saving our vehicle from all sides screaming at others, getting screamed at, calling out names (with windows closed) while on our way in heavy traffic during peak office hours.

I’m no different. In the middle of this mess one day, I noticed a man in a green shirt (I have a so called short term memory so this has to be really inspirational if I remember the color of his shirt) waving frantically at me in my side view mirror and constantly honking to force me to make way. In routine circumstances, I would have increased the volume of my car stereo and would have chosen to completely ignore him but, since I was running late and suffering from lose stomach accompanied by high temperature (in short Viral fever) I was at the peak of my worst mood ever and I wanted to just get out of the car and give the man a piece of my mind. All of this happened within just a fraction of a second and it took me a while to realize that the sound of an ambulance siren which I was hearing from the past few minutes had suddenly got louder and seemed closer to me now. I didn’t take much time to put things together and figure out that he was actually clearing way for the ambulance and I swiftly dodged my car to one side giving way to both the vehicles. My anger for the man suddenly turned into respect and I started following this biker and ambulance for the sheer curiosity of knowing if the “the Sagacious Fellow” is able to get the ambulance out of the traffic mania and If I could be of any help to them. I could only do this for a while to the best of my capacity as my other road mates started giving me a hard time.

 My heart says he didn’t look like he was related to the patient as he was dressed for office with his backpack and lunchbox hanging from one side and seemed as any other biker on his way to office who just suddenly decides to rescue someone seeking urgent medical help.

Witnessing this short melodrama on the road that day made me recall all the times I have seen an Ambulance stuck in traffic and did nothing. I could relate to the desperation the relatives of the patients would have been going through to get out of the chaos.  A question struck me immediately and I would like to ask you the same, Can our system and more importantly our people not adapt to a system where they proactively start making way for an ambulance or we could have a pilot rider making way and clearing the traffic ahead (Remember the scene in the famous Aamir Khan movie 3 Idiots?) It would not only save time and help preserve the golden hour of emergency treatment but also increase the accountability of our citizens in contributing to build a better emergency healthcare plan for public at large.

-Ms. Ginny Kaushal

  Faculty, INLEAD 

Can Hospitals Infect You?

Imagine going to a hospital fully fit and fine for a regular checkup and returning home with a deadly infection. Seems highly impossible? Well, here’s some food for your thought.

 What are these Healthcare associated infections?

A healthcare associated infection or more commonly known as hospital acquired infection is an infection which a patient acquires from the hospital or healthcare facility. The risk of acquiring such infections increases with the duration of the stay in the hospital. These infections occur worldwide and affect both developed and developing countries. What may come as a surprise to many, infections acquired in health care settings are among the major causes of death and increased morbidity among hospitalized patients. They are a significant burden both for the patient and for public health.

What the Healthcare professionals can do?

A situation as grave as it appears, has ironically a contrasting and a very simple solution. A measure as simple as hand washing practiced by healthcare professionals can bring down the rate of hospital acquired infections by a staggering 96 percent. This means that instead of 10 out of every 100 patients, only 1 out of 100 will suffer from Healthcare associated infections.

What the healthcare organizations can do?

In order to provide good quality and safe care, the healthcare professionals must not only possess knowledge and skills but must also develop positive attitudes towards infection control guidelines. In the current scenario of health care field, very little is known about the provider’s Knowledge, Attitude and Practice regarding infection control. Hence, it becomes imperative for healthcare organizations to ensure measures to assess these parameters of healthcare workers in Hospitals.

Regular monitoring of the knowledge levels of staff and continuous training in form of Lectures, Workshops, CMEs, Seminars, Conferences etc. will not only help in improving the current levels of knowledge of the novice but will also ensure reinforcement of facts and practices for the already trained staff. It will further also help in inducing a positive attitude among the hospital workers and eventually lead to a patient safe environment.

So, I urge the healthcare Industry to move towards an approach where the hospitals are recognized as institutions where the unhealthy can recover, not weaken.

- Ms Ginny Kaushal
Faculty,INLEAD