A global study released at the United Nations Climate Change Conference revealed concerning forecasts about the impact of climate change on hospitals in India.
According to the 'XDI Global Hospital Infrastructure Physical Climate Risk Report,' 10% of Indian hospitals may need to relocate or close by 2100 due to the negative effects of climate change. Nepal will also confront substantial issues, with 26% of its hospitals at risk of closure.
The comprehensive research, which included 53,473 hospitals in India, revealed that 9.6% of them are expected to encounter high-risk circumstances that may force their closure by the end of the century. The study analyzed the risk of damage from several climate change threats, such as local floods and coastal flooding, and found a troubling trend: the probability of hospital damage from extreme weather events has increased by 41% since 1990.
To limit the effects of climate change, the research emphasizes the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and integrate green technologies in hospitals. The study predicts that if there is no transition away from fossil fuels by 2100, one in every twelve hospitals (16,245 in total) will be at high risk of partial or entire closure owing to extreme weather events, with 71% of these high-risk hospitals located in low- and middle-income nations.
In India, where hospitals are open 24 hours a day, 2,700 out of 53,473 are already at risk of partial or entire closure owing to extreme weather occurrences. This number is expected to rise to more than 5,100 by the end of the century if fossil fuels are not phased out.
The study additionally highlights the importance of increased environmental awareness in the healthcare industry. While the Indian government requires public hospitals to have a GRIHA 3 certification (Green Certification for Integrated Habitat Assessment), such rules do not apply to commercial hospitals. To get hospitals to use green technologies and make their buildings more resistant to climate change, incentives like lower energy or property tax bills could be beneficial.
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