Hyderabad:It would take about 17,500 trees to absorb the carbon dioxide produced by a single medical facility performing 10,000 gastrointestinal procedures in a year, reveals a study undertaken by AIG Hospitals.The study on the environmental impact of gastrointestinal endoscopy (GIE) procedures, conducted by AIG Hospitals, offers a comprehensive analysis of the carbon footprint and waste generation associated with GIE procedures.The study was conducted for 11 days from May 29 to June 10, 2023. The amount of waste sent for recycling in the 11 days is equal to carbon emission generated by more than two cars. The study has been published in the ‘Gut’ journal, part of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) group.Commenting on the study, Dr D. Nageshwar Reddy, the chairman of AIG Hospitals and one of the researchers in the study, said, “Healthcare activities, particularly in tertiary care centres, have a significant environmental impact. This study highlights the critical need to talk about the environmental impact of healthcare and provides actionable insights for reducing carbon emissions from hospitals.”The most important finding of the study was that gastrointestinal endoscopy (GIE) procedures have an average carbon footprint of 38.45 kg CO2e per procedure. While it may seem relatively small, the cumulative impact of numerous procedures performed globally is substantial.For instance, if an endoscopy unit performs 10,000 procedures in a year, the total emissions would be 384,500 kg CO2e. It would require around 17,500 mature trees to absorb emissions generated by these procedures.The study also found that patient travel is the largest contributor to emissions, accounting for 83.09 per cent of the total emissions, highlighting the need for sustainable transportation options and improved healthcare accessibility to reduce travel-related emissions.The study revealed that India’s waste management practices, including recycling 25.7 per cent of hospital waste, save 380 kg CO2e in two weeks. The waste generation per procedure in India (0.504 kg) is significantly lower than in Western countries (2–3 kg per procedure), primarily due to the use of reusable materials and more efficient resource management. Recycling waste in India avoids significant CO2e emissions, equivalent to generating 9816.6 kWh of solar energy, removing 2.1 cars from Indian roads, or absorbing the annual carbon dioxide emissions of 467 trees.According to Dr Hardik Rughwani, lead researcher of the study, “The findings emphasise the importance of optimising resource use, promoting recycling, and exploring non-invasive diagnostic alternatives. We hope this research will inspire healthcare providers and policymakers to adopt sustainable practices and contribute to global climate change mitigation efforts.”The study called for the establishment of dedicated ‘sustainability’ departments in major hospitals to drive eco-friendly practices and guidelines. The study suggests exploring non-invasive diagnostic alternatives, such as advanced imaging techniques and biochemical markers, to reduce the environmental impact of endoscopy procedures.
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