Did you know healthcare is a major source of carbon emissions and 4-5% of global emissions are attributable to healthcare's activities?
Hospitals consume vast resources, use energy-intensive equipment, operate around the clock and dispose huge amount of medical waste. In particular, the operating theatres produce a quarter of all hospital waste. Up to 25% of these waste comes from anaesthesia, as our daily routine consists of single use equipment from airway devices, trays, plastic syringes to inhalational agents. Therefore, anaesthetists are in the ideal position and have responsibility to make valuable contributions to the transition to sustainable healthcare.
Sustainability involves accountability, planning and foresight, and it should be taken seriously at every level, and by every individual instead of an afterthought. Importantly, we need to understand the perceptions of anaesthetists in adopting recycling and environmentally sustainable practices in the operating theatre, as well as drivers of such behaviour, to motivate change. An ongoing qualitative study aims to achieve this, to understand current opinions or experiences among our colleagues, so as to inform and guide further design of effective measures based on identified intervention functions and behaviour change techniques. Other projects and interventions within our Anaesthesia ACP include the study of the use of Anaesthetic Gas Scavenging System (AGSS) in capturing waste of anaesthetic gases, and we are actively discouraging the use of Desflurane, which is a major contributor of carbon emissions.
Lastly, we hope to promote awareness among our colleagues on sustainability in healthcare through Anaesthesia ACP’s first sustainability symposium that is to be held on 21st October 2022. We hope to receive as many photo submissions from the ground reflecting sustainability practices within the workplace. Please email photo submissions to: anaes.acp@gmail.com - thanks for supporting this cause!
